My new rescue cat has a bald spot, rough, scabby skin. What's wrong?

It looks like she make have gotten a small wound on her head, maybe from getting swatted by another cat. Cat claws and bites tend to make wounds with small holes that seal over and trap bacteria inside. This will form a small abscess which will then rupture, which is what this appears to be to me. Keep an eye on it and keep it clean with a washcloth, warm water and a mild soap. Clean it two or three times a day and make sure to get all the soap off or it will irritate her skin. As long as it continues to improve and she is acting fine, eating and drinking, she should be fine. If it closes up again, swells, gets really red, hot, or if she starts acting sick or loses her appetite, get her in to see you vet as soon as possible as she may then need antibiotics to clear up the infection and heal.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Meatloaf. This could just be from an injury. It's small, and I don't see any sign of infection, so I don't recommend a vet visit at this point in time. I would leave it be, and see if it heals. Give it a week, and if it still looks like this after that time, then have her seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. It looks like it could be from an injury if there is a scab on it. A scab means it's healing, so I would just keep an eye on it for now. If you see signs of infection, it gets bigger, it starts to bother her, or it doesn't appear to be healing, then have Fatina seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to see the scab in this picture but I can see that Zoey is a cutie! This scab could be due to a mild infection or perhaps some mild traumatic lesion. You can consider just monitoring for now if it is just one. If this gets worse or just does not resolve, have her evaluated by your veterinarian then. I would not recommend any products or treatments yet as this may resolve on its own depending on its severity. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This is not an emergency though it would be best to see a veterinarian. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

That hairless area could be related to a bacterial infection, a fungal infection (which could be contagious to humans) or a healing wound. I can’t tell if it is raised or not. If the area is raised, then I think you should get it checked out as certain skin cancers can look like this. If the area is nice and smooth, then I think you could monitor it and see what happens over the next two weeks. If it doesn’t go away or if it gets worse, then take him in to be seen. Of course you can always have him examined as you will likely get answers faster that way. At home make sure the area is protected from scratching or licking. Otherwise you can leave it alone but look at it daily. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It appears Precious may have sustained an abscess, probably from a fight with another cat. The abscess ruptured, & Precious has been licking the area to keep it clean. Her sandpaper tongue can actually cause more trauma to the area. You can clean the area with a little warm water & a disinfectant such as Betadine, & you may need to put an elizabethean collar on her to stop the licking. These type wounds do not always need antibiotics, but it would not be a bad idea to let your vet have a look at it just to make sure . Hope she well very soon.