'Bad Hair Days' - Skin & Coat Problems in Cats (Part I)

'Bad Hair Days' - Skin & Coat Problems in Cats (Part I)

By Jean Hofve, DVM

Is your cat "going bald?" There are many reasons why a cat might lose fur, but in a lot of cases, it's because the cat is overgrooming: chewing the hair and breaking it off, or pulling it out completely. Those 12 tiny incisor teeth between your cat's canines are designed for grooming, and under normal circumstances, they're used to "comb" through the hair to remove debris, mats, and parasites.

Hair loss from any cause is called "alopecia." Sometimes you'll actually catch your cat in the act of chewing, or notice that she's scratching grooming more than usual, but more often you'll glance down and suddenly notice a bare patch where the fur used to be. Areas where alopecia can develop without you noticing are the tummy and the front legs.

The first essential step is a trip to the veterinarian's to diagnose the cause of the problem. Far and away the most common reason for cats to pull out their hair, especially around the base of the tail, is flea-bite allergy. It only takes a single flea bite to produce an intense and prolonged reaction. Your vet can prescribe an effective and safe flea preventive and help you get rid of fleas and eggs in and around the house, or you can use more natural methods (more on this in an upcoming article; but here's a quick tip: never use a flea collar! They don't work and they can be very irritating if not downright toxic.). Once the fleas are gone, the skin will heal up on its own.

Another parasite that may be far more common than many vets suspect is the mite. There are several species of mites that produce a condition called "mange." Sarcoptes mites (scabies) cause unrelenting, severe itching. They are most often found on the belly, but can wander anywhere. Scabies mites prefer warm, moist areas. Cheyletiella ("walking dandruff mite") and Demodex may or may not be itchy, but if the infestation grows out of control, they can cause scratching and hair loss. Demodex is a normal parasite of humans and animals (we have them in the hair follicles of our eyebrows--eew!), but if the immune system is weak, it can explode into a nasty infestation. Sometimes ear mites will get into the skin, particularly around the head and neck. All of these can cause cats to lick, scratch, and chew to try to relieve the itching.

Most mites have one thing in common—they are easily transmitted, and they are not picky about where they set up housekeeping. In a household with scabies, multiple animals and people are likely to be infected. Your vet will do a skin scraping and put it under the microscope to check for mites, which are very tiny and hardly visible to the eye. However, scabies mites are very hard to find. It's been estimated that only 20-30% of cats with scabies are ever definitively diagnosed, even by multiple skin scrapings. If there are two or more itchy individuals (of any species!) in the household, treatment for mites may be indicated.

Ringworm (which is actually a fungus) is also frequently implicated in cases of hair loss, especially around the face, feet and ears. The hair disappears in small patches, and the skin turns dry, gray, and flaky. The time between initial contact and the appearance of lesions varies from one to three weeks. Ringworm is extremely contagious! While it doesn't seem to bother the cats much, in people ringworm can be extremely itchy! Treating ringworm can be difficult and time-consuming.There are a number of effective topical creams that can be used if the lesions small and localized, but a cat with a major infection may need to be shaved and bathed in a special shampoo for a month or more. Alternatively, there are oral medications that must be given consistently, usually for several weeks. They have serious side effects, so be sure to discuss the options thoroughly with your vet. Homeopathic treatment can be very helpful for these kitties.

In "Bad Hair Days" Part II we'll talk about some other potential causes of alopecia, and what you can do to solve them!