My cat is losing hair and has cold-like symptoms. What's wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to a number of reasons such as allergies, a bacterial infection, mange, among many other reasons. It does sound like you think he may be feeling sick as well so I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment so that he can be started on the right therapy. Best of luck!

Especially as Sampson was positive for worms in November and is an outdoor cat, it ideal to keep him on monthly Revolution for cats (a topical preventative against fleas, heartworm, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites). Hair loss at the base of the tail is likely due to flea allergy dermatitis and coughing could be due to lungworms, feline asthma, hairballs, or heart disease among other differentials. At his age, Sampson is considered senior/geriatric and a full panel of bloodwork including thyroid levels is recommended to rule out hyperthyroidism, liver, kidney disease among other things that can result in a poor body condition. A fecal exam is recommended as well as tapeworms are transmitted by fleas, can cause weight loss, and are not prevented by Revolution. A visit to the veterinarian for screening bloodwork, a fecal exam, screening chest radiographs, and examination of the hair loss at the base of the tail to rule out other conditions such as behavioral overgrooming/ringworm/endocrine disorders, etc. is recommended. In the best case scenario, the hair loss at the base of the of the tail is due to flea allergy dermatitis which can be alleviated with Revolution +/- topical steroid/antibiotic ointment/medicated shampoo if it is itchy, and the coughing is due to something as relatively benign as hairballs which can be alleviated by a prescription GI/hairball diet. As there are numerous other possible causes though, a full checkup and workup at your local veterinarian's would likely result in the best outcome. He is super handsome by the way!

Oculonasal discharge and congestion in a cat basically is screaming a upper respiratory infection. These can be either bacterial or viral in origin typically. If it is bacterial it is going to require antibiotics in order to improve and by the looks of those eyes something to treat those topically. Lysine can also be used to support the immune system in these cases. As for the skin issues I can't say that one has anything to do with the other necessarily. I would have Wilson looked at by a veterinarian sometime soon in order to assess his respiratory status as well as the hair loss you are seeing. They will be able to tell you what should be done next.

Fleas cannot be the cause for the breathing and other general symptoms, the scabs over the neck could be caused by the fleas. unfortunately this is not all, he seems to be suffering from an infection that is causing those symptoms, you will need to take him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated.

Hello. Hair loss could be due to many factors however with the image you have provided it looks like it could be possible parasites (fleas), behavioural (stress), or with his age possible hyperthyroidism. Wheezing can be due to asthma (increased risk if smokers in the house), or heart disease. I would suggest getting Twinkie seen at your vet's next available appointment, as cats often don't give you many early signs of breathing troubles before a crisis, so if you are hearing wheezing now it is best (and most economical) to treat it early while Twinkie is still stable. Your vet will also look at the skin for parasites, and may want to do a blood test to check for hyperthyroidism. Good luck with Twinkie!

Hi there. I'm sorry to hear that Peanut his having these problems. The photos are a bit blurry, but I can see that he definitely has some hair loss and redness around his neck. There really aren't any illnesses that come to mind that would be likely to cause all of these symptoms together, so he may have two separate problems - the skin issue, and the coughing/pale gums/bloody stool. Common causes of hair loss, redness, and bleeding or scabs would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). The bloody stool, pale gums, and coughing suggest that something may be seriously wrong internally (a bleeding disorder, cancer, some type of infection, etc.), but it's hard to say what this might be without being able to run some tests. I would recommend taking Peanut to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help determine what is causing his symptoms and get him started on appropriate treatment depending on what is found.

He could have multiple things going on here. Itching is a sign of allergies, so I would first check for fleas (they leave behind tint black pepper looking specks on the skin). The purple bumps may be an inflammatory reaction or actual masses, so have these tested through your vet. The wheezing is the most concerning symptom that he has, as this can be early signs of asthma, bronchitis, a mass (an enlarged thyroid) pressing on his airway, or an upper respiratory infection. I would encourage you to schedule an earlier appt for Tobby to address the wheezing as soon as possible. Cats with airway issues are consider unstable and should seek medical attention right away because the lungs are their stress organ, so that means that if they are not feeling well then the lungs can get worse very quickly. I hope that your pet Tobby feels better soon. Best of luck at the vet.