Why is my cat losing hair around her eyes and chewing her paws?

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. I highly recommend that you have Puma evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. He may be pawing at the eye due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively! Good luck and best wishes!

There are a multiple things that can cause hairloss in cats including bacterial infections, fungal infections (ringworm), allergies, mites, and fleas. She should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treatment. Your vet may need to do some diagnostic tests to diagnose the problem.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty. It looks like she needs a veterinary visit. It looks like she could plasma cell pododermatitis aka pillowfoot. You can read more about this condition at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952090 . The hair loss on her front legs could be related or she could have allergies, a skin infection, skin mites, or another cause. I would recommend getting her in to see her veterinarian to start treatment for the feet if they do believe it is plasma cell pododermatitis and they can closely examine her legs to determine what could be causing the hair loss.

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas, 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, pollins, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! The hair loss around the eyelids we see here is not a normal hair loss. I would be concerned about possible allergies, ectoparasites such as mites, or bacterial infection. I would recommend bringing Cairo in for an examination by the vet. They can test for parasites and determine the appropriate treatment for him based on examination. This may include topical medications, oral medications or injections depending on what they find on his physical examination and history.

Hair loss in a young kitten is most often due to parasites including fleas, mites and lice. If Maple is not already on a topical flea preventative, I would recommend getting one immediately. Keep in mind that fleas will remain in the environment so you will need to clean/disinfect Maple's bedding as well as any furniture she lies on, blankets etc. If this does not improve the situation, I recommend you take Maple to the veterinarian to check for mites, fungal infections or diseases including allergies.