Are fleas behind my cat’s sore leg?
OUR VET DAVID GRANT WORKS HIS MAGIC
Q My four- year- old cat developed a raw patch on its leg. My vet ran tests and found high levels of eosinophils. The cat has a collar on to stop licking and we have started anti- flea treatment, but I haven’t seen any fleas. Any advice? A Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell, and raised levels can be a sign of infection, parasites or allergy.
I agree with your vet’s approach. We are at the height of flea season and the vast majority of cat skin problems at the moment will have flea allergy as the cause.
Cats react in many different ways when they develop an allergy to fleabites.
Some cats, probably the majority, develop miliary dermatitis, which is a spotty type of rash.
Others lick the backs of their legs causing baldness, and a smaller number develop the reaction that your cat has, called an eosinophilic plaque.
I think the fact that your vet has found eosinophils in tests is very important here.
These cells are especially associated with allergies and in my experience, most often fleas are to blame.
You may not have seen any because the cat will be overgrooming due to itchiness brought on by the allergy, making them difficult to spot.
I would expect good progress over the next month providing you keep up the flea treatment.
Q
We are homing an eight- week- old puppy next week and are getting differing advice on how often to deworm. Can you also advise on precautions to protect our four- year- old son from worms, as I understand there is a small risk of cross- infection. A
Roundworm is very common in puppies. You are correct that there is a small risk of infection in people, particularly very young children.
Infection, called toxocariasis, comes mainly from contact with soil contaminated with dog or cat waste. The larval form is infectious to people and animals, and takes two to seven weeks to develop.
There are thought to be two cases of toxocariasis per million people in the UK each year, but this may be an underestimation as it can easily be missed.
For most people, an infection with roundworm larvae causes no symptoms and parasites die within a few months. But there is a rarer ocular form, which may cause blurred vision or, in extreme cases, blindness. It can also affect other internal organs, including the liver.
About 2% of people have antibodies against roundworm in the UK but it is higher elsewhere in Europe.
Toxocariasis is preventable so do not worry. Pups are dewormed every two weeks until 10 to 12 weeks, then monthly until six months old. In your case I’d recommend every month thereafter.
Picking up dog waste and safe disposal is crucial, and many councils prevent dog access to park play areas. Frequent handwashing, especially before meals, reduces the risk even further.
David Grant MBE was a vet at the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital for Animals. Email questions to him at pamperedpets@ express. co. uk. Unfortunately, he is unable to enter into individual correspondence.