My car has hairloss on his tail and right between his shoulder blades. He is constantly licking or scratching. I used advantage and he was good then we got tight on money and bought store brand flea medicine now he got worse. What can I do to make him feel better?:confused:

Whatever you do NEVER use store bought flea preventative, it causes seizures and often death in cats. First, is your cat indoor only? Second have you had a vet look at the spot on the back that is losing hair? When did this fiorst happen before or after you started putting flea preventative there. Do you vaccinate your cat annually? Vaccines can also cause hirloss in the area of the injection. If money is tight (trust me I understand) using baking soda can temporarily help but long term is a poor idea. Keeping your cat indoors only is the best flea preventative as long as your indoor area isn't infested, in which case, treat the indoor area and then don't let your cat outside.
Let me know if you have more questions!
Good luck!
Heather

Another reason for hairloss in most animals is stress or skin irritations. I would defo see your vet.

If the symptoms disappeared when you used Advantage then it is probably a flea allergy. If they got worse when you used Advantage it could be a reaction to the medication. I agree that using these flea remedies can be dangerous but I have many cats and have not been able to find a holistic way to treat fleas efficiently. I have found that Advantage seems to be the least dangerous.

Having said that, if you have the time and the money, there is a product called Flea Busters that is Ortho Boric Acid and can be applied to your carpets and lasts up to a year. It is completely safe and all it does is dehydrates the fleas and they die. So they don't build up a tolerance to it. I however have hardwood floors so I can't use it.

If you are really broke try cutting up two lemons, pour boiling water over them and let them sit all night. The next day put the water in a spray bottle and spray your cat with it. Dr Pitcairn says it works to repel fleas but I haven't had much luck with it.

Hope this helps.

For all animals,
Molly

If he is losing hair in more than one place it could also be fungal. I recommend seeing your vet, they also have care credit for pet care 6-12 months same as cash. Consider this so you can get to the bottom of this.
Good luck
Heather