Why does my rescued cat have black scars with no hair growth?

Hello. It is very difficult to know exactly what this might be, but it does resemble a healing abscess. If she is constantly licking the spot, then you might want to put a light Elizabethan collar on her to prevent further self-trauma. But, if she is not bothering the area, then just keep an eye on this for the time being. Anything you put on it will just get her licking it off & perhaps doing more damage to the skin. Any additional concerns, it is best to have your veterinarian physically examine the skin for additional possible treatment. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If this gray area is in the area where the cat had a wound then it is probably just a scar and can be considered completely normal. If this is not in the same area of her wounds, there is some other cause of hair loss and she will need to be checked out by your vet. I'm glad you found this kitty and have taken such good care of him!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like an old, infected wound. Please, take Tibber to your local vets for an appointment. Clipping and cleaning the area will allow full examination of the scar/wound. Based on that your vet may decide to prescribe a course of antibiotics or antiseptic topical solution.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is no way to know this just based on a picture. If there is a mass effect there may be cancer. However, even without a mass effect this can be cancer. The only way to know for sure is by having Molly evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. They would be able to get a closer look and decide what seems to be more likely to be going on. At the same time, they can perform a biopsy to determine what kind of disease she has. Therapy can be recommended afterwards. Best of luck!

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very hard to tell from the photo what is going on. It is uncommon for cats to get general wounds just by rubbing up against something or scratching themselves - usually a wound is due to direct trauma like a bite from another cat. If he goes outdoors this could very well be the case. This wound may turn into an infection (abscess). At this stage I would just monitor the wound. Do not put anything on it. If you notice any of these things then you need to get him to your vet ASAP. * swelling around the wound * discharge coming from the wound * wound is hot to the touch * Casey stops eating/drinking or becomes lethargic * vomiting or diarrhea Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for the pictures, they are very helpful. I see what you mean about the bald spot and black spots. The black spots could be due to flea dirt, and scratching the area could cause the bald spot. Fleas don't live on the cat, they actually live in the environment. They just jump on the cat to feed and then jump off, so he could have fleas even if you don't see any. Make sure he is up to date on his flea treatments if he's not. Should he be up to date on his flea treatments, then this could be due to an injury (the black spots could be dirt), or an infection of the skin. In this case, you have two options. You could take him into the vet to get it examined and diagnosed, or you could watch it. Should you chose to watch it, take him into the vet if it gets bigger, appears infected, or starts to bother him. I don't think any immediate treatment is needed should you chose to watch the area. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it is hard to tell just in these pictures, I think cancer is less likely and something more benign like allergies and dermatitis is more likely. Ultimately, this requires further investigation to know for sure. 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. 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!