Lately, my mom's cat has been shedding excessively. I gave him a bath, thinking he was blowing his coat the way that dogs sometimes do. After he licked himself dry, my mom called to say that she could pull his hair out in tufts and that she could see his skin in balding patches on his back.
I know that cats will shed when stressed, but this seems extreme. He's going to the vet this weekend, but I would like to hear from experienced cat owners about possible conditions I can ask the doctor about. Could it be hyperthyroidism? Or anything else?
What could be causing my cat to lose hair in patches?
There is a big difference between shedding and chunks of fur falling out. It's good he's seeing the vet.
Allergies from flea bites, food, or seasonal triggers (like people get) could be the cause. It could also be psychological or stress related, hormonal imbalances, skin disorders, or toxins in the environment.
Could be hyperthyroidism, but I believe that results in general poor coat and overall hair loss. One of my previous cats was diagnosed with it, and I don't remember him having patches of missing fur - just poor coat quality. It's always possible though.
Don't bath him again. If you must, just use water. The soaps, even ones designed for cats, could irriate his skin further, if that's the issue. Even when cat's shed, they typically don't need a bath anyway.
What could be causing my cat to lose hair in patches?
hhhmmm I know this time of year they do shed their hair to help keep them cool for the summer months but it could be mites or something to or a allergic reaction to food if it was recently changed
What could be causing my cat to lose hair in patches?
could it be mange? Do you take your pet outdoors?
It could be an alergy (maybe to something in the house, to bugs as maybe they are biting her, or maybe she's ripping out her hair when the bugs do bite her) like maybe alergic to "Frontline"? When it gets hot indoors I see tufts of cat hair all over, but I don't see patches of hair loss. If you gave your cat a bath your cat was probably alergic to the product. Cats don't really need baths, in fact they hate water. I'd be afraid that hair loss in spots, well that the fur might not grow back, and that would be what I'd be asking my vet about also. But also take the bottle of whatever you bathed her in to your vet and ask him what's in it that she might be alergic to. Some products are on the shelves of the grocery store that I'd be wary to buy. Buy only from your vet.
What could be causing my cat to lose hair in patches?
Have you changed food lately? My cat did this when I bought some Eukanuba crap...had lamb in it...and she had and allergic reaction. Just a thought. Good Luck.
What could be causing my cat to lose hair in patches?
It may be alopecia (pulling out fur) - There is no specific treatment for alopecia. Instead, treatment is aimed at eliminating the underlying cause of the problem.
You may want to have blood/urine tests taken. Negative results will narrow out cystitis, thyroid problems, liver problems, kidney disease, diabetes, urinary tract infections and other disorders or deficiencies (vitamin B or fatty acids) that can cause a cat to pull it's fur out (systemic cause).
It may be mange/fleas/parasites. A vet could put a piece of fur under a microscope to know find out if the fur is falling out, or being pulled out. Other tests are visual, scrapings, fungal culture, biopsy of the skin?
After tests come back clear, I would say you probably have narrowed it down to stress or allergies. Both of which your vet would be able to prescribe something for. Hope this helps!
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