Why is my cat losing hair, bald spots, and black dots on her belly?

Those are comodones, like plugged follicles/pores. It could be due to any number of underlying conditions: ringworm, skin mites (or other skin parasites) or even allergies. My recommendation would be to change the diet. Whatever you are feeding may be causing this issue. A hypoallergenic diet may be a good choice. I would also recommend you use this mousse. It is nice because it works like a shampoo but you don't actually have to bathe your cat. It is leave on treatment. Use as directed on the label. I would use it twice a week for the first couple weeks. If no improvement you should probably take him for a vet visit. http://www.allivet.com/p-5575-phytovet-ck-antiseptic-mousse-68-oz.aspx I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi, thank you for using PetCoach. Those black dots are blackheads (clogged pores). It is not typically a serious problem. It is not related to a flea problem. Feline blackheads often result when cats don't groom themselves properly but it could also be from overactive oil glands or certain yeast or bacterial infections. Stress and food allergies can also contribute to this issue. You can try these medicated wipes on the affected area once a day. If after about 7-10 days there is not much improvement then you should have Dino examined by your vet. ( https://www.amazon.sg/Douxo-30-Count-Chlorhexidine-Pads/dp/B00G3D8JL0 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could potentially be just a color change in the hair coat due to the change in season like you said yourself (winter coat). Some animals do develop color changes as they age as well. As long as she is acting normally and there are no changes to the skin, this is likely a normal change. If you are concerned at all, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Shedding is completely normal, especially as the temperature gets warmer. What would be abnormal is if you are seeing bald spots of skin on your cats, especially if it the skin is pink/red or dry and crusting. This could indicate a skin infection or allergies. I hope this is helpful!

Based on the picture it appears that she may have had a lot of clumping debris on her fur? If her skin was irritated from debris encrusting the underside of her belly then it could cause enough irritation to cause hair loss. Also skin infection and ringworm are also possible causes. I would encourage you to monitor her closely for any other changes. If You feel the shelter vet if too busy then I would encourage you to consider having a second opinion. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the photo there does not appear to be any bald spots, however, it is not a very close up view. Honestly, unless there are bald spots and/or she is scratching the area I would not be too concerned. If the problem persists though (like for a few months) then you should take her to your vet for an exam. Some reasons there could be changes in the hair coat: 1. Diet - the special diet she is eating may be causing some nutrient imbalance. You should talk to your vet about putting her on a supplement for her coat (like fish oils) as this may help. 2. Skin Allergies - even if she has never had any symptoms of allergies before, they can develop over time. If this was the case though, I would expect hair loss and/or scratching, redness of the skin, etc. If you are not seeing any of that then this is not as likely to be the problem. 3. Fleas - again, I would expect hair loss and scratching. If you are not noticing that, then this is also not very likely to be the problem. 4. Stress - even if you don't think your cat is stressed, she could be. Try to see if you could think of anything that could be causing stress like visiting family, stray cats hanging around outside, you got a new pet, new furniture, etc.... 5. Thyroid disease- either a low or high thyroid can cause problems with the hair coat. Your vet can do a blood test to check for this. 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!