Cat Hair Loss and Skin Scabs

by Autumn G.
(Michigan)

Cat Hair Loss and Skin Scabs Reader Question

He's a Persian Cat about 5 years old. He's both an indoor and outdoor cat. He goes through these periods where he just loses patches of hair and there are wounds underneath them. I'm not sure if it's because of him being really itchy for some reason, and him chewing his itches or if maybe he's really ill.

The past few months he's gotten horribly skinny, though his stomach is pretty big, his hair just looks horribly thin and he's got scabs all over his body.

I thought maybe he had fleas and tried giving him a bath with flea shampoo, needless to say, he didn't enjoy it. I decided to do it now, because it appeared that all of his wounds were scabs and I didn't want to get his shampoo in them.

After the bath I was drying him off and it looked like the scabs were coming off, I'm unsure whether that's a good thing or bad thing, but then he started licking himself, and it appeared as if he was chewing something, or gagging on something, then he started drooling profusely.

I have no clue what's wrong, but I'm really concerned about him. I've taken him to the little vet clinic in my town and they've just told us that he's allergic to fleas. but they've said that about all of our animals, basically. None of our other pets are like this, though.

Do you know what could be wrong with him?

Cat Hair Loss and Skin Scabs Editor Response:

Dear Autumn,

Thank you for your question and sorry to hear about your cat's skin problem.

The symptoms mentioned indicates that your cat has an allergic condition, as allergy can cause alopecia (cat hair loss), itching and the formation of scabs. As you mentioned, this condition has persisted for a few months, making it possible that your cat is now at risk for secondary infections (both bacterial and fungal).

We suggest trying a medicated shampoo such as Clinical Care Antiseptic & Antifungal Medicated Shampoo for bathing your pet; follow the instructions carefully when applying shampoo. Apply a preparation/cream thereafter such as FleaDerm, which can relieve itchiness and treat any allergic reaction caused by a possible flea bite.

To prevent your cat from licking and chewing, you should use a collar that prevents this from happening such as an E-Collar. If your cat is licking and trying to ingest scabs or the possible culprit/cause of the condition (parasite/bacteria/fungus) it can cause a generalized illness that may worsen the condition.

In addition, as a precautionary measure and for the safety of your family and cat, disinfect your cat's environment with a quality disinfectant such as Benzarid, particularly if the problem is fleas and parasites that that cause a recurrence of any problem.

Please keep us updated on your cat's condition.