The fur of a cat is your business card and very often it is possible to notice problems such as sores, dandruff or lack of hair. This is the last problem we will talk about in this Animal Expert article, because it is of great concern to tutors.
We will explain the most common causes of hair loss in cats in different parts, as well as possible solutions to recover fur, as this is very important for the health of your feline companion. And, as always, you should consult your veterinarian if you notice any problems with your cat’s fur.
- A primeira coisa que é preciso considerar ao explicar as causas de gato com pelo caindo é como essa falha se apresenta.
- Uma vez que é possível estar diante de uma alopecia generalizada.
- Na qual o gato não terá pelos em boa parte do corpo.
- Especialmente nas laterais e na barriga.
- Ou faltas de pelo muito mais específicas.
- Na forma de manchas calvas visíveis em diferentes áreas do corpo.
In addition, it is necessary to observe if there is excessive licking failure of the cat, since they usually prefer to lick rather than scratch and these excessive strokes of tongue can break the hair and cause it to fall, in addition to causing sores, because the tongue of the cats is rough. In other cases, hair loss can occur without your intervention. All this data is important to get to the diagnosis, as we will see in the following sections.
If your cat does not have hair in the form of round bald areas and is mainly found in the head area, you may think you have a fairly common fungal disorder known as ringworm. Ringworm in cats is a relatively common disease, especially among minors. This usually begins when the cat is under some stress, such as a movement, but it can also affect adult cats.
Inadequate hygiene conditions are also a predisposing factor. Cat moth is usually self-limiting, meaning the cat’s immune system can restore skin integrity without medication, simply by improving its defenses. To do this, it is essential to manage stress and provide a quality diet.
In any case, the veterinarian may decide to prescribe an antifungal for small kittens, more serious cases with generalized baldness or when there are several diseases simultaneously. These treatments are usually prolonged (at least 4 weeks).
É importante saber que a micose de gato é uma doença zoonótica contagiosa também para seres humanos, por isso, é necessário ter cuidado se você tiver em casa crianças, idosos ou pessoas imunocomprometidas que convivem com o gato. Você deve garantir uma higiene adequada e desinfetar e aspirar com frequência, especialmente as áreas onde o gato descansa ou passa mais tempo.
The ringworm is confirmed by a simple test carried out by the veterinarian, which consists of passing a lamp (Wood lamp) to the cat. The illuminated areas indicate the presence of fungi, which can also be seen under the microscope.
Sometimes, allergy in cats is the reason your cat has hairless areas. Cats can develop allergies to pollen, certain proteins, materials, and even allergies to flea saliva. In the latter case, a single bite is able to trigger the entire allergic condition, so it is very important to identify if your cat is allergic and keep its deworming up to date, even if it lives indoors. Also remember that you need to use products that remove fleas at all stages, not just adults.
Only the veterinarian can advise you on this, given the particular circumstances of your cat. This allergy causes itching, so the cat licks, scratches and ends up losing hair on large surfaces, causing even sores. The later you receive veterinary assistance, the more complicated the situation.
In a cat with this type of allergy, you will notice that the lack of hair occurs mainly at the base of the tail (lower back), being able to extend to the abdomen, flanks and neck. Treatment may require medication to control itching and prevent secondary infection, but the most important thing, as we said, is to avoid it by following a deworming program, always using the best products to deworm cats.
Stress in cats is another factor that can explain why a cat has hairless areas. To consider that the cause of hair loss is psychological, it is first necessary to rule out the physical causes. Stress can cause the cat to ingest excessively, resulting in hair loss. In addition, as we have seen, it also decreases your defenses, which can affect the quality of the hair and its exchange. To avoid this, it is necessary to look for reasons that may stress the cat to correct them.
At this point, you can contact an ethologist (animal behavior specialist) or a veterinarian trained in feline psychology and behavior. An example of the impact of stress on hair is the condition known as telogen effluvium, which shows a lack of hair on your cat’s sides, belly and chest. In this case, the hairless areas are not caused by excessive licking but by an alteration in the exchange of hair.
The hair growth cycle is divided into three phases that develop in mosaic, so that the hair is gradually renewed. Stress can interrupt this cycle by leaving it in its telogen phase, in which the hair does not grow. Once the cause of stress is resolved, the new hair moves the existing hair, which is in the telogen phase, producing a sudden exchange of all the hair at the same time. This does not require treatment and the fur will eventually recover, but it is important to avoid the causes of stress, as we have said.
Another cause of alopecia, especially on the sides of the body and even affecting large areas, are certain endocrine diseases, such as Cushing syndrome in cats, which will result in other symptoms such as increased water consumption, increased urine production or very marked fragility of the skin. In such cases, it is necessary to treat the main cause of hair loss, which can be diagnosed by blood tests.
Now that we have identified the most common motifs of a cat whose fur falls into different parts, it is necessary to consider a series of measures that will help you avoid problems with fur. These measures are:
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Cat with hair loss in different parts: causes, we recommend that you visit our Skin Problems section.