i have a problem?

Question

My cat who is 2 years old, has this patch of fur missing, but then there, is a raw patch of skin, that looks like it could be painful, for her, I would like to know whats wrong with her, and how i can help her, with out hurting her. Im pretty desperate, since my vet isent available, hes on summer vacation, anyone who knows anything..........thanx.

im hoping its not anything contagious, but i will phone a vet in the morning to check it out, thanx for everyones advise, she should be alright, till tommorrow... but its not a greyish colour, or yellowish colour, so thats good news... thank you..

im hoping its not anything contagious, but i will phone a vet in the morning to check it out, thanx for everyones advise, she should be alright, till tommorrow... but its not a greyish colour, or yellowish colour, so thats good news... thank you..

Answer 1

Is the patch circular? That's one of the diagnostics for ringworm (which isn't a worm, it's a fungus infection -- related to athlete's foot and VERY contagious to humans). They call it "ringworm" because the fungus grows in all directions at the same speed, meaning that the hair falls out in a circular or "ring" pattern.

Do you have access to a blacklight? If you do, shine it on the patch of skin -- if it glows a wicked blue-green, it's ringworm.

You may be able to buy over-the-counter fungicide for it, especially if you live near a big pet supermarket (Petco or competitor). In fact, you may even be able to take your cat into Petmart and have THEM shine the blacklight on it. It's a fairly common ailment for cats.

Good news is, it's completely treatable and the hair WILL grow back. But have somebody take a look at it! If YOU get it, it itches like mad and your friends will basically run away screaming if you tell them you have ringworm... ;-(

Answer 2

I honestly don't think that it is anything to worry about- a lot of animals in the summertime have extreme shedding problems, especially in hot climates. It's not abnormal for animals to lose hair this time of year, but baldness is a bit much. I think that your cat's yearly shedding might have been complicated by stress- perhaps another animal, or extreme heat? If your cat typically spends most of his day out doors, try to keep him inside for a few weeks to see if his condition improves. Or remove him from areas where he may be exposed to other animals. Stress, compounded by shedding, can cause animals to have severe bald spots. Or perhaps you cat is over grooming an area that is shedding and it is causing irritated skin as well as hair loss. If his condition gets worse, and you still cannot take him into a vet, try to visit a pet store (such as Petsmart) and ask if there is any creme or gel that he can use. Chances are if it is a simple condition, than someone on the pet store staff will probably know what to do. Although i did work in an animal hospital over the summer, I'm not a vet, and as much as i would like to help i can't really analyze the problem over the computer. It could be any number of things that is causing this problem. To be on the safe side you should probably try to get him checked over by a vet or someone that is familiar with these types of problems- it's better to be safe than sorry.

Answer 3

This does not sound like anything critical. Cats who go outside get in fights and end up with patches of missing hair and scrapes or bruises. They can also scratch or bite off their own fur if they have an allergic reaction to fleas. The third possibility is a parisitic skin condition from mites, scabies, ringworm, mange, etc.

Keep kitty inside with real flea control (ie. Frontline or Advantage). Watch the area to see if it is getting better. If YOU start itching, then you should get the cat to another Vet quick to find out what your cat gave you! Then you will know what to tell your doctor.

Other than that, don't worry too much about your cat. They are incredibly tough animals. You can wait until you Vet comes back, or have his or her office refer you to somebody else if you are too nervous about this. I'm sure your Vet has a collegue who agreed to cover during the vacation.

Answer 4

This same thing happens from time to time with my cat too (she's a long hair). She's 18 years old now so it's not anything that's life threatening. The couple of times I've taken her to my vet he's told me to try and keep her from grooming the area (yeah, right). For the most part it heals on its own and the hair grows back in. So just try to watch her and have your vet look at her when s/he returns from vacation just to make sure everything is a-ok.

Answer 5

I'm with Kim. It could be ringworm, especially if the missing patch is circular. If you wait too long, you and anyone in the house could get it. It can get in your furniture, carpeting, bedding. Then it becomes very difficult to get rid of. Get the cat to a vet. Ringworm in a cat should be treated by a vet. Because of their fur, it's very difficult for you to treat it at home. Another possibility is that she's lacking something in her diet, causing her hair to fall out. She didn't burn herself or get into a fight with another animal did she? Whatever it is, she needs vet. attention tomorrow.

Answer 6

being this is the warm time of year, sounds alot like a hot spot to me, still have her checked by a vet, could be ringworm also, but hot spots on dogs and cats are very common this time of year, it happens when the skin gets moist, the fur will trap the moisture next to the skin causing bacteria to grow, the results are a sore, they can vary in size depending on how severe it is, usually the sore will look moist, the best thing to do is to trim all the hair away from it and apply a hot spot medication, this will dry it out and they will heal fairly quickly once they can breath

Answer 7

is she an outside cat? where is the raw place at? do you use any of the flea drops? could be an allergy to the drops or a flea allergy.Does she go out side where chemlawn or someone has sprayed and walked through the area. call another vet they can help answer your questions. keep her in side so it can heal and get some antibiotic cream on it. lets hope it is not mange

Answer 8

If you can sponge the raw area with hydrogen peroxide this will help to keep down infection and relieve some of the pain; it would be best though for a vet to check it.

Answer 9

to be fair it isnt really possible to offer an accuate diagnosis over the internet

if the skin is greyish and flakey it could be ringworm

if its red and raw its probably she got scraped or in a fight

sorry really hard to say.. I doubt its urgent you can probably call a different vet tomorrow...

Answer 10

One possibility is Ringworm, a fungal infection that is transferrable to humans. Seek veterinary attention ASAP!