Hair Loss In Cats: A Look At Three Common Causes
Posted on: 26 August 2015
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Is your cat losing hair? Whether the hair is falling out from all over the body or appears to be missing from certain areas, you can bet that there's an underlying condition to blame. Here's a look at three possible causes for hair loss and how they're treated.
Skin Mite Dermatitis
A species of mites known as Cheyletiella infects cats and causes itching, dandruff and hair loss. Cats with mites may have thinning hair all over their entire body, along with lesions on the back and dandruff flakes that appear on the surface of their hair. You may see your cat itching and intensely grooming itself often.
Your vet can diagnose mites with a simple skin test. Cats with this condition must be washed regularly in a lime-sulfur solution and treated topically with insecticides. The bedding, kennels, and rugs in the home should also be treated, since mites can live away from the cat for up to 10 days. Long-haired cats may need to be clipped to help fight the infection.
Ringworm
Is your cat missing fur from round patches on its skin? Do those patches appear scaly and red, sometimes with pimple-like lesions at their centers? Chances are good that your cat has ringworm, a very common fungal infection.
If your vet diagnoses your cat with ringworm, the condition can be treated with topical fungicides. Long-haired cats may need to be shaved to make the infection easier to treat. Any grooming tools that have come into contact with the cat must be sterilized to prevent re-infecting the cat or spreading the infection.
Psychogenic Alopecia
If your cat seems to be missing hair from certain areas, but you and your vet are unable to identify an underlying cause, the hair loss probably stems from psychogenic alopecia. This is a condition in which cats begin to overgroom themselves, pulling out their hair and sometimes licking the skin until it becomes raw.
Usually, psychogenic alopecia arises from stress in the cat's life. If your cat's environment has changed, you've recently adopted a new cat, or your cat is simply bored, this condition may appear. Taking steps to improve your cat's environment may ease the symptoms, and some cats require treatment with antidepressants. Once psychogenic alopecia becomes a habit, it is hard to break.
If your cat is losing hair, don't ignore this symptom. It could be a sign of a parasitic or fungal infection, or possibly a sign that your cat is stressed and unhappy. Bring your cat to a clinic like Metropolitan Cat Hospital Limited if you are concerned or their health.