Why is my cat suddenly losing hair around her mouth? Is it serious?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Nitro is having these problems. These areas of concern could be due to allergies, immune system mediated, or contact with irritants. There is a syndrome in cats called Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex that is an immune mediated problem thought to be caused by allergies, most times to the bite of fleas, mites, etc. Only a biopsy would be able to adequately diagnose these areas. Food allergies/food insensitivities may also be involved. Looks like something you should let your vet take a look at. Most likely they would use a steroid injection with or without antibiotics. These can be complex to figure out but some tests can be done and a treatment plan can be formulated. Plastic feeding and water bowls have always been implicated as possible sources of the irritated areas so you should switch to porcelain or glass bowls. I hope this helps and I hope you and your vet can make Nitro more comfortable.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Milo! If it is only a small area of hair loss it could be from him hitting or rubbing on something outside or an altercation with another cat. Other causes of hair loss are: skin infections, allergies, chin acne, ring worm or mites. It is hard to advise you on at home treatment with out seeing a picture or examining Milo. If the skin is not raw my best advice it to leave it be and monitor the area. If the area increased in size or the hair doesn't start to regrow then you should have your Vet examine Milo. I hope this helps and I wish Milo the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may be referring to a focal infection. However, it is not possible to know this just based on a description or a picture. This would require an actual examination of the area to see what may be wrong so that therapy can be recommended. If this continues, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

This could be due to a fungal infection. Yeast infections are common near the mouth, because of how much moisture there is. These infections can be controlled by keeping the area clean and dry. The other possibility is that this is ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection that causes hair loss and is often found on the face and the feet. Check her for any other bald patches. If you see any more of these lesions, then it's likely ringworm and will need to be treated by a vet. It's best to take Mina in to have this diagnosed by a veterinarian, because ringworm can spread to different parts of the body and can spread to people. Also, the more involved the infection, the longer it will take to clear. For now, I recommend washing your hands anytime you touch Hoss. You can keep the area clean by gently wiping with Pet Wipes (a medicated wipe that you can get at the pet store) 2-3 times a day. I hope that helps and this clears-up soon.

This does not look very concerning and it certainly would not be necessary to postpone her spay. Observe the lesion for spread. Let the vet know about it and have him check it for ringworm or a bacterial skin infection. If it is bacterial it is easily treated with antibiotics and if it is ringworm she will need antifungal medication. It also just may be a scrape that is healing now.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! They are gorgeous! This is not expected to be due to the puppy. There is a variety of reasons that can explain alopecia or hair loss. The causes can easily be differentiated by the clinical signs associated with it and the physical exam findings. If they are only showing some hair loss without scratching or overgrooming then it could conditions such as alopecia areata that can affect cats and usually resolves on its own. If there is evidence of scratching and you start noticing some redness or irritation associated with it, then other conditions such as allergies are possible. If you notice them overgrooming in that area then it could be something like psychogenic alopecia which is more of a behavioral issue. I think that since they are not having overt clinical signs and it is mostly hair loss, I think it is likely transient and will resolve on its own. You can monitor this closely and if it does not resolve or it worsens then have them examined by your veterinarian. Good luck!