Member

Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-25-2003 07:48 AM         

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Suchimu, my 5-year-old indoor cat is losing a patch of fur on her back. Her fur started to thin out a few days ago, and now I can see white skin. She is acting “normal” and her skin in the ‘bald spot’ looks good. I have not seen her bite or lick the spot; I don’t think she has noticed it at all, although it is quite large, about a half of slice of bread. I know stress can affect the fur of cats, but I cant think of anything out of the ordinary that could be stressing her out. I have 4 cats including a littermate of Suchimu, and no one else has a fur issue. I did change the brand of cat food from Proplan Weight Management (due to a big fat old cat) to an Indoor Cat Formula, but that was 45 pounds of cat food ago. Could that be the problem? Her vet check up is in January, should I take her in sooner or let a few weeks’ pas and see if her fur comes back?

Thank You
Jeannine
pets@gj9tech.com

[This message has been edited by HaloKittie (edited 11-26-2003).]

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-25-2003 10:22 AM         

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That is quite strange. Can you take a picture of the bald spot. Also have you noticed a lot of fur on the ground. She may be grooming it without you noticing.

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Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-26-2003 10:22 AM         

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I will do that, it is odd. I have not noticed any odd amounts of fur anyplace, and it not like it all just fell out at once, its is a slow process. My Husband thinks maybe our dog has been helping Suchimu groom by chewing on her, but it doesn’t look chewed and its baby soft fuzzy under fur left. When I pet Suchimu on the spot its no big deal to her.
It looks as if child decided to give the cat a hair cut with a shaving razor, but we don’t have kids…

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Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-26-2003 11:25 AM         

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photos of 'the bald spot'

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Posts: 123
From:Vancouver, WA USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-26-2003 01:01 PM         

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My step-mother had a cat years ago with a bald spot. It looked just like yours!

I was a kid at the time, so I don't know the details of what their vet had said, but remember being told that the cat had a "licking problem". It was that way for years, and the cat lived into its teens.

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Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-26-2003 03:06 PM         

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Interesting, did the fur ever grow back or was she balding for the rest of her life?
I have not noticed her having a licking problem, I know cats have a very flexible spine but it’s in an unusual place for her to reach and lick. I keep a close eye on Suchimu in particular because she had a knee problem when she was a kitten and with her weight gain in the past year I want to make sure the problem does not come back.
Although I wouldn’t put the licking thing past her because a few years ago her sister Kiva had the mangiest whiskers in town, all broken and split. I thought she was sleeping on them wrong, come to find out Suchimu was chewing on Kiva’s whiskers when they groomed each other!

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From:Vancouver, WA USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-26-2003 03:14 PM         

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The cat had the bald spot the whole time I knew it, which was the last 3 or 4 years of its life. It was, in about the same spot as on your cat, only it was longer. Maybe 7 or 8 inches by 2 inches. Just like yours it looked like someone took an electric razor to the cats back.

I was never around the cat enough to remember if I ever saw it licking the spot or not.

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-27-2003 09:39 AM         

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That is almost the same spot where my cat pulls her fur out. She does it on both sides. I didn't know what it was until I caught her pulling at it. Usually I find tufts of fur on the gound, but I don't see her doing it. It is most likely from allergies from fleas or a behavioral problem. Try treating her for fleas. If it doesn't clear up try steroids. The steroids wont tell you what she is allergic to, but it will tell you whether or not it is allergies. If it clears up with steroids, then you can try to figure out what she is allergic too. If the steroids don't work it is a mental issue. My cat is on prozac right now. She has been on it for a little over two weeks and she is not pulling her fur out and it is even growing back.

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From:MO, USA
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-27-2003 06:25 PM         

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I had a kitten with the same problem. He was losing hair in that spot but also around his paws. They did a fungal to test for ring worm, a skin scrape to test for mange, an allergy test and nothing came back positive. They put him on amoxicillian and it cleared up with in a few days.
Thats really funny about the whiskers because his brother in the litter had the same problem! http://www.petfinder.org/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=2308963&adTarget=468petsgeneral&SessionID=3fc6b1d659c2e7ce-app2&display=&preview=1&row=75&tmpl=

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Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-29-2003 05:14 PM         

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haha, that's funny!
I caught Suchimo in the act of chewing her sisters’ whiskers, and scolded her using ‘the mean voice’. She has never bothered Kivas’ whisker since, which was about 3 years ago.

I have always thought I was the only one with crazy cats, its good to know there are more mad cats out there!

Guido is a cutie! It must run in the 'Domestic Short Hair-black and white Mix'!

[This message has been edited by HaloKittie (edited 11-29-2003).]

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From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-29-2003 05:21 PM         

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Thanks for all the good advice; I’ll be taking Suchimu to the vet soon and asking her about steroids, allergies, medicines, and mental issues. I know its not flea, she stays indoors, and I would have seen flea symptoms in the other 3 cats or 2 dogs.

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-29-2003 08:31 PM         

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You can carry fleas in on your clothing. You could have fleas and she could be the only one that is bothered by them. Even if you think that isn't the problem, it's the cheapest and easiest fix, so it is still the first thing to rule out.

Because of the pattern of hairloss and the fact that the skin looks normal underneath my best guess is either 1)fleas or 2)self mutilation.

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From:Rhode Island, USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-02-2003 01:21 PM         

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Hi i am new to this forum, i found it while trying to search about hair loss with cats. my smokey he is 7yrs old and is licking alot more often and is losing fur on the back of his legs,bottom of his tail,and belly. i think it could be allergies but also we have a 7mo baby girl(as well as older children). He seems happy still he rubs against her and is used to being around kids/babies. what do you think???

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-02-2003 06:16 PM         

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The pattern of hairloss you describe definately sounds like allergies. First try treating your kitty for fleas to see if that is what he is allergic to. If it isn't that, exam everything else including food to try and find out what he is allergic to.

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Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 12-04-2003 06:13 AM         

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Could Suchimu be having a reaction to an overdose of Brewers Yeast?

I have noticed that Suchimu will swipe another cats pill out of the food dish everynow and then.

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-04-2003 10:11 AM         

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I guess that is possible, maybe do some research about yeast allergies online. The thing that makes me think it might not be that is that the normal pattern for hairloss from allergies is on the belly, legs, and sometimes tail. The only allergy I know of that causes hairloss where your kitty has it is a flea allergy. Other than that hairloss in that area is usually self inflicted. That is the area they usually choose when they are pulling their fur out.

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Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 12-04-2003 01:17 PM         

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Thanks,
Yes I have red alot about losing fur on paws, butt, belly and such due to allergies.
not too much out there on back fur loss.

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-04-2003 02:46 PM         

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If you do some reading on skin conditions that cause fur loss, you will find that the only ones that cause fur loss on the back where your cat has it are flea allergies and feline psycogenic alopecia (self mutilation). Get a tube of advantage or frontline and treat your cat with that. If her fur comes back it might be flea allergies. It's a cheap and easy thing to rule out. You will have to watch and see what happens though. I thought my cats problem was flea allergies for a long time, but turns out she has feline psycogenic alopecia.

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From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-06-2003 04:20 PM         

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This article is a pretty good summary of different skin conditions.
http://www.nzymes.com/Articles/cat_skin_hair_problems.htm

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