What causes my cat to chew fur off her tail and back with no fleas?

The most common cause of hair loss around the tail is from flea allergies so I would definitely check her thoroughly for fleas. Other possibly causes are anal gland problems, seasonal allergies, ringworm, mites, infections. She should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies as opposed to being behavioral. This is possibly more specifically due to flea allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!

Even though you don't see any fleas, your cat could still be having an allergic reaction to fleas. It only takes the bite of one flea to set off the reaction, and itchiness over the base of the tail is classic flea allergic dermatitis. However, dermatitis can be brought on by other skin parasites (mosquitoes, mites, lice), bacterial and fungal skin infections, nutritional imbalances, hormonal imbalances, and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, I recommend that you have your cat examined by your veterinarian for a full clinical work up.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ketkat! The most common reason for chewing the back or the tail is fleas. Use a fine tooth comb and brush above her hips and down the tail. If you catch an adult flea in the comb you have an answer. If you don't, use a wet white tissue or paper towel to remove the fur and debris from the comb. If you see black squiggly flecks that when wet look like blood streaks that indicates flea poop. I would recommend a good flea preventative like the Serest collar, Bravecto for Comfortis. be sure that ALL animals in the house are treated. Other possibilities are skin allergies from the environment or food and cats can over groom from anxiety or behavioral reasons. If you do not find fleas I would take her to the Vet for a diagnosis so you can get her feeling better. I wish you all the best!

The most common cause of hair loss at the base of the tail would be fleas or flea allergies. It can be difficult to see adult fleas on cats since they tend to groom them off, but if you take a flea comb to the base of the tail you should be able to see flea dirt if fleas are a problem. Other possibilities include seborrhea (or 'stud tail'), or allergies. If Puck seems itchy or the underlying skin seems irritated and you have ruled out fleas I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to determine what might be causing the hair loss.

Poor kitty! There are a few causes including fleas, environmental allergy and food allergy. Fleas are very suspicious for that region. You can rule them out by using a good flea product like Revolution or Cheristan. You will need to use it for a couple months, if the skin clears up then you know it’s fleas! It sounds like your cat is uncomfortable with the description of chewing off all the hair and the red skin. A visit to your veterinarian can provide some relief with medications. I recommend to have your cat checked out to make him feel better quickly. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. He may have full anal glands that need to be expressed or be dealing with an allergy. This could also be stress related. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would have the vet check his anal glands to make sure that is not the cause. You can also try the Feliway products, which can be found online or at you local PetCo. Feliway is a pheromone product that might help relax him if this is due to anxiety.I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.