What causes hair loss around my cat's eye? When should I see a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like just minor hair loss. This could be from rubbing her eyes (allergies or irritation maybe?) or if she accidentally rubbed too hard against something. If you notice hair loss in other places too, or if you develope a red area or rash, we should add ringworm to the list of possibilities. I would say, watch for a few days. If nothing else hanged and Bella still seems happy, and eating well, keep monitoring. If any new signs arise including more bald spots, it’s time to see the vet. Best of luck to you and Bella!

I am sorry to hear about Onyx. I would wonder with the change in location if this could be allergy related. We can sometimes see irritation/inflammation around the eyes due to allergies. We can also see this with some mites, bacterial or viral infections, or autoimmune diseases. I would recommend an examination by a veterinarian to try to pinpoint the underlying cause. They can then prescribe either oral or topical medications depending on what they determine the cause of the hair loss to be. Best of luck to you and Onyx!

This is a tricky question because a bacterial skin infection, ringworm, and skin mites can all appear very similar. The only way to tell them apart is by either treating for one of them or doing specific skin tests like a skin scrape, a skin cytology, and a fungal culture. I think it is ok that you are using the Malaseb shampoo for now. If the issue does not resolve over the course of a week or so then you may want to have your cat examined by your vet to determine the exact cause of hair loss. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

There are a multiple things that can cause hairloss in cats including bacterial infections, fungal infections (ringworm), allergies, mites, and fleas. She should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treatment. Your vet may need to do some diagnostic tests to diagnose the problem.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. It is difficult to say for sure what the cause is based on the pictures you provided, but I suspect that the hairloss around the eye is secondary to Magic scratching / pawing at the eye. There may be something in the eye causing irritation / discomfort or an infection that needs treatment. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Magic so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This area doesn't look terribly suspicious of ringworm. It could have just been a scab that was there that fell off and took the hair with it. If you are really concerned though it is best to have your vet take a closer look at the area. THe hair needs to be parted and then the skin palpated to confirm if this was just a scab or if there is evidence on the skin of a possible infection (bacterial or fungal). I hope that things work out well for your pet Cam moving forward. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ferry! It's hard to make out the skin issues in the pictures. I see the missing hair above the eyes and it appears that the skin has scabs present. If that is the case Ferry may have an allergy. I would check her well for fleas. The nodule could also be a thickened scab. If there aren't any fleas she may have an allergy to something in the environment or to her food. Another possibility is ring worm or a skin infection. I would set up an appointment with your Vet to have her examined. If they also think it is an allergy and a secondary skin infection they can provide antibiotics and steroids to improve the skin condition and make her more comfortable if she is scratching and rubbing. I hope this helps and I wish Ferry a speedy recovery!