Cat hair loss with black specks: Is it fleas or something else?

This could be due to different causes such as fleas, an allergy, an infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, 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). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

Not all flea medications are equal. I find that fipronil/Frontline products don't work very well. I would recommend that you talk to your vet about a prescription product like Bravecto or Revolution, or try a Seresto collar. Fighting cat fleas is tough, and even with excellent products, it may take 3 or more months to get rid of the fleas due to their life cycle and new fleas hatching. See the articles below. That being said, overgrooming (hair loss) and black skin (caused by chronic inflammation) can be caused by many things. Food allergies are possible, but Rengar is more likely to be allergic to chicken or beef than grains. Anxiety or pain are other possible causes. It would be a good idea to discuss this with your vet. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-best-flea-prevention-plan-for-your-cat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help/

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!

It definitely looks like flea dirt. If you search through the coat quickly, you may see them scampering around. You can also try using a flea comb to find them. The article below has some good tips for finding them and treating for fleas. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ I hope that helps and all is well with Yuki.

It looks as though your cat is over grooming which is causing the hair loss. The most common cause of over grooming in cats is allergies. The allergies cause skin infection and excessive itchiness. The discoloration of the skin is because of this as well. I would recommend taking your cat to the vet so the skin infection can be treated and they can give Buddy something to help with the itch.

[Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/) are the most common cause of hair loss and [excessive grooming in cats](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), but there are several other medical causes as well - including [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/), bacterial or fungal infections, or skin mites. I would definitely start your cat on a good monthly spot-on product such as [Advantage II](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-flea-and-tick/cat-flea-and-tick-drops/advantage-ii-once-a-month-cat-and-kitten-topical-flea-treatment-over-9-lbs) to make sure fleas are not the problem - you can get this over the counter at many pet stores. If this doesn't resolve the problem, you will need to have your cat examined by a vet - he/she can do some testing if needed to diagnose the problem and get your kitty the appropriate prescription medications to treat it. Behavioral causes, such as stress or anxiety, can also lead to overgrooming. [Calming supplements](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/cat/cat-training/cat-training-calming-aids/calming-cat-supplements) or [pheromone products](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/brand/feliway) can be found at the lcocal Petco. If these do not improve the condition, your veterinarian may recommend prescription strength remedies.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Ciciregularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy. This isn't an emergency by any means.