Balding cat nipples (impossible to phrase delicately!)

by Em
(South Wales)

Help! My 4(ish) year old rescued moggin seems to be going a bit bald aroud her two rear nipples - they peer out at you whenever she sits down (just to clarify, she doesn't have majorly massive nipples or anything, she's just all black otherwise!)

Any thoughts as to why this might be? She doesn't appear to lick them much (her butt is the preferred location for that, especially when i have company!) and they dont appear irritated or anything - she is a house cat so no fleas or anything either..HELP!

Em xxx

Answer by kate
well if over grooming is not the cause then you do have to wonder if either she has a skin problem in that area or there is something wrong with those glands.

To be honest the best and safest option is to get her checked by a vet to be on the safe side. especially if this a recent occurance.

I do hope it can be cleared up easily an quickly.
best wishes Kate

bald spot on cat

by tania
(PEI, Canada)

my cat recently got a bald spot on the base of her tail just on her back. it seems to be sore to the touch and it has little scabs on it. what could this be?

answer by Kate
It could be a cat bite which has become infected or a parasite infection which is causing irritation. It probably needs some medication to get rid of any infection and help the skin to heal.

best wishes Kate

7mo old kitten hair loss around his neck

by Jennifer
(Denver, Colorado, USA)

My 7mo kitten has been loosing his hair completely around his neck. At first I thought it was his collar so I took it off. But it just got worse. There are really small scabs occasionally found around the area. It does look like the hair broke off near the skin or maybe its already growing back, not sure. Last couple of days I noticed his eye was a little goopy now today it looks fine. Is there something I can try OTC before I take him to the vet? Maybe a anti itch bath or some L-lysine?

Answer by Kate
Hi
Well it is always difficult to recommend treatment without knowing what is actually causing the fur loss. Fur loss can be caused by skin mites or even an allergic reaction. It may be that the collar caused the initial reaction and is taking its time to recover even though the collar is removed.

If you see my web page here about skin loss there are some links to a company that does provide OTC products for some skin conditions.
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-hair-loss.html

However I can not recommend any of the products and for a proper diagnosis only a vet can do this.

best wishes Kate

balding cat

by sue m
(uk,)

My cat is 13 years old.She has a large bald patch on her belly and also a large balding patch along her back from her tail upwards.
Its not sore or dry,just balding.Not overgrooming as shes big and cant reach these places,at a loss.

Answer by Kate
Well fur loss can be caused by several things, such as skin allergies, stress or a mite of some sort. I have a web page here about skin and fur problems here
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-hair-loss.html

However there is only one way to really find out what is causing the baldness and that is for a vet to do a skin scrape and have a look at it under a microscope.

best wishes Kate

balding kitty

by Heather
(Tennessee)

My cat's hair is coming out around her butt. She cleans it alot and gnaws at it with her teeth, but i dont see any fleas and since she stays in our house sometimes it seems we would have seen some by now if she had any. she also gets scabs around her neck. i feel so bad for my Peeti Sue, please help

Answer by Kate
Sounds to me like she either has a skin allergy or has some other parasite on her skin causing irritation. the backside and neck areas are often the main areas of infestation.

It really is essential that you take your cat to the vet as soon as possible as she must be in lost of discomfort and distress, especially if she is pulling hair out to try and get rid of the itch.

the vet will be able to do skin scrapes etc and take a look under a microscope to find out what the cause is. That way you will be able to treat her effectively.

best wishes and I hope she is better soon.
Kate

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