12 year old cat scratching and gouging herself

Question
I have an otherwise healthy 12 year old calico female cat. She had fleas some years back, and then developed flea allergy dermatitis, I think. Though her fleas were gone, she still itches and scratches herself for a few weeks after the flea season.

But over the past year, the scratching is worse and has continued long after and through out this winter, which did not happen in previous years. (I live in Chicago.)

No matter how much I wash, shampoo her, she still itches and scratches and gouges herself with her back legs until she scabs quite a bit, or bleeds, usually around her head and neck area. When one area eventually heals over 1 to 2 months, another area becomes a fresh area for her to scratch herself. Other than this scratching and gouging of herself, she is a healthy, lively, spunky, affectionate cat who eats well.

I know you do not diagnose, but might she have dermatitis? Could it be a nervous tic? Are there any anti-itch shampoos for cats that may help? Any other suggestions you might have for me?

Answer
You're right Ben, I don't diagnose, but I can speak from experience!
I had a cat for 15 yrs that had the same condition. Even without noticeable fleas, she would develop what we call "Scabby Cat" which in fact is Milliary Eczema.

Most vets call it Milliary Dermatitis or just FAD- Flea Allergy Dermatitis.

The thing is, animals that are allergic to fleas do not have to have one on them to have a break out. If they get bit by just one flea, it can cause a breakout, itching, scratching and digging that can last for weeks.

What I did for my cat was put her on Science Diet Adult food (she was 5 at the time) and gave her a short course of prednisone from the vet. That is about all you can do, other than keep her and the yard and house free of fleas.

I started giving my two cats and two dogs (at the time) Sentinel tablets for heartworm prevention and in a few months my cat had no more allegy attacks. As a matter of fact she rarely had a scab for the following ten years of her life.

You have to have your cat seen by a vet but you need to ask them if you can keep a small supply of the pred on hand in case she has another attack.

Keeping the house free of fleas is paramount but a great diet is also essential. Once all of my pets were on SD only they lived much longer and none of them ever got sick.

Shampoos don't work for this problem, they can make it worse by drying out her skin. Get her on some Sentinel or some  Revolution which is what I use since Sentinel is very hard to get right now.

But make her an appointment first and have her looked at and get some pred. Having her looked over will also rule out any other skin condition she might be having.

Let me know how she does.