by Pat Fretschel
(Reedsburg, WI USA)
I have a 3 yr. old Maine Coon female cat. I have noticed that she has lost the hair at the middle of her back down onto the beginning of her tail. She has been eating dry Meow Mix with hairball control since I got her at 6 months old.
She is strictly an indoor cat but every once in awhile my daughter will bring her dog over. Could it be fleas? Also could it be stress? Could it be her food? She does constantly groom herself. She does not seem to be in any distress and there is very fine baby hair where she has lost the hair. Her skin is not flaky so, I don’t think it is dry skin. Could you possibly help me?
Thank you – Pat
My Cat Has Hair Loss at End of Back and Beginning of Tail to Cat Health Problems
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I forgot to add that Sweetie’s litter is not clay. I have been using cedar bedding instead of granules or clay. I tried all natural litter. I am now using Feline Pine..I thought, could be the cedar? Let me know. Aaagh!
This “rash” started under her chin. She scratched so badly that 1 night she actually screamed when she scratched. I took her to the vet. Corticoid steroids x 30 days seemed to help but she was given another eo days because she was not healed. Then her back side next to the tail starting losing hair. Took her back after the the 4 wks of steroids. He said it must be fleas. I said, “no fleas. I checked her” he put flea control on her anyway over my objection. Now, her legs, front and back are losing hair. She has bald spots on her legs. Her abdomen is completely bare from licking. No hair. Peach fuzz started to regrow but then she licks some more. Bare again. I placed aloe on her. She licks. I leave her alone, she licks. She is a rescue of 14 years and I thought she adjusted to my home and Jake the cat of 7 yrs. They became friends fast. Never had a “confrontation” since they are both seniors. Jake has no skin problems. I changed her food 3 times. I thought it was the food. I am now feeding her Merrick, no grain..chicken. she does NOT eat wet food. JAKE only eats wet.
I have been reading on this and a cause could be hypothyroidism. Yet the vet 4 visits declined blood work. I asked. So to hear that psych could be the problem…what to do? I really thought she was happy here. I just rescued her 6 months ago. This is new x 2 months now. I went away x 30 days for x-mas. My girlfriend here said she was fine. Any more info, please ask. I am desparate. P.S. I am a nurse x 35 yrs. I know medical.
I am not a vet. Hair loss is due 90% of the time due to overgrooming and often the reason behind overgrooming is stress of some sort. Are you saying that after the antibiotic injection and after the steroids the hair loss became worse because she licked a lot more? That is how I read your comment. If I read your comment correctly then it would seem that the medication has made things worse by which I mean that her skin has become itchy which has compounded the problem. I may have completely missed read this, in which case I apologise. The question is whether the drugs have made things worse and whether she was licking the hair off her skin because of over grooming before she was given this medication.
My cat has been on antibiotic injection (1st visit to vet), then coryocoid steroids x 30 days X 2. Then the itching and the licking started to the 10th power. She is now..no abdomenal hair. Completely bald spots on her legs, front and back. I have changed her FOOD twice..my other cat can’t eat gluten, so she has not eaten gluten. He has no skin or fur problems, but she is getting worse by the day. I was putting aloe on her, but it causes her to lick…I stopped the aloe x 2 weeks, the skin is worse. She started to regrow peach fyzz on her tummy, but the licking has reversed her progress. I am at wit’s end. HELP. Anybody.
Most hair loss is due to overgrooming. Are they overgrooming this area? Is the flea treatment too strong? Is it causing skin irritation?
Two of my ragdolls have both lost their fur around the base of the tails and backend i treat with strongold flea treatment cannot see any fleas but one started with it first now another is going the same i have 5 altogether