Why is my cat's belly hair thinning and losing hair on her tail?

Hello. Decreased hair quality in cats, especially of her age, could be due to hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, parasites, and overall poor health and grooming habits due to arthritis or obesity. I would suggest getting her checked by a vet, and having bloodwork done to test for these conditions as some have easy fixes. Good luck with her!

The most common sign of a thyroid problem in cats is weight loss. Hair loss around the tail could be secondary to a skin infection, fleas, allergies, etc. The best thing would be to schedule an appointment with your vet for a physical examination to determine the cause and treat. Your cat may need an antibiotic and/or an anti-inflammatory to treat.

If you are noticing sudden hair thinning, this could be an indication of a hormonal disease. This may also be normal as some cats shed more than others. The hair may need some time to grow back in after shedding out. If she is overgrooming that area, that could lead to thinning of the hair as well. One thing to consider adding in to the diet would be omega 3 fish oil capsules (welactin liquid) to see if this helps the overall appearance of the coat. I hope this helps! If the hair continues to become more thin or falls out completely, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there. A couple things could be going on with Lucky. Some cats lose hair due to stress and this is usually self resolving. More commonly cats lose hair due to an allergy. This could be to their food or something in the environment. I would start by having your vet check her and then do a hypoallergenic food trial for 8 weeks. This usually does the trick, but if not your vet can prescribe medications to help with environmental allergies. Best wishes to you and Lucky.

The hair on the belly which is missing can be a normal finding in a small number of cats, but the hair loss on the side of the body seen in the picture is never normal. Typically the first thing a vet will want to know with any situation involving hair loss is if it is occurring with or without itchiness. If there has been itchiness, the cause of the ailment is most likely allergic, inflammatory, parasitic, infectious, or auto immune in nature. If there is not an itchy component, the cause may be hormonal, psychologist, or also potentially, inflammatory in nature. If Pipi appears to be uncomfortable or is mutilating herself in any way, I would encourage you to have her examined at the next available appointment time. Provided she is still comfortable and not hurting herself, simply continue to monitor for any changes or worsening condition, and make a regular appointment to be seen at the next convenient time. Hope this helps.

If you notice several pets affected, things like fleas, skin mites and ringworm become more suspicious. I recommend to check them/treat them for fleas. If they do not respond with 2 weeks or if they start getting worse, figure out a way to have them examined. You may look into financing through Care Credit or Scratch Pay. Lastly, you may call the local humane society to ask if they offer/know of any low cost solutions. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Cats who are thin despite eating well who also have areas of baldness can be suffering from an endocrine disease called hyperthyroidism. I recommend getting his thyroid levels tested by a veterinarian who does this type of testing.