Please help. Lovely new rescue cat has developed dermatitis over the last week.

[Monr0e]

He has been with us for 4 weeks now. When he came he had lovely thick black hair. At the end of last week we noticed he was over licking and causing bald spots on his back. The next day he had developed scabs and sores obmn his bald spots and has continued to lick / scab over all down his back.

I took him to the vets yesterday who said it looked like flea dermatitis but he had recently been treated for fleas and hasn't been out yet.

He fave him an antibiotic injection and another flea treatment but today it looks even worse and so painful

I desperately want to help him, please can anyone suggest what else it might be and how we can help him. Thank you.

Our upstairs neighbour had a cat who was allergic to flea bites and some pollen. She had an injection (possibly steroid) to help. Once owner was on-board with monthly flea treatment that helped but the pollen was an issue until she got old and didn't go out.

Thank you, the vet mentioned it could be pollen but I didn't know if it could be this as he hasn't been out since coming here.

It has come in him so fast. He was fine for the first 3 weeks and now he looks so sore and I feel so guilty. I just want to help him.

Ring the rescue centre for advice. They should be able to give you the names of the vets who are more knowledgeable in this area.
Don’t delay because dermatitis is the devil to get rid of once it gets established.
Could also be caused by food so check what changes e have been made to diet.
Goodluck

Thank you

If it is diet what can I do about it? Should I try a hypoallergenic diet?

He is currently snoring on me knee. I feel so guilty, no idea what has triggered it for him.

My old cat had a flea allergy.

She needed medication with fipronil in it. Any other flea treatment had no effect on her - once we started using that, she was fine

Our rescue cat had something similar. The vet recommended half a piriton when needed. It worked a treat.

Thank you so much everyone

Is that regular human piriton?

Does the medication with fiprinol in have to be prescribed?

He is approx 3 years old, is it normal for these things to suddenly flare up out of nowhere?

One of mine had an allergic reaction to something a few weeks ago. Not fleas. She had bald patches on her head and shoulders. The vet thought she'd stuck her head into something outside. A shot of steroids sorted it out.

I used half a human piraton on her sister last year for hayfever and it worked really well.