Why is my cat losing hair and scratching until he bleeds?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! George's itching can be caused by a reaction to the fleas, a secondary skin infection, ringworm, or other skin parasites such as mites. George may need antibiotics, medicated shampoo or ointments to resolve the issue completely. I recommend having her seen by her vet, who can take a sample of the affected areas to determine what is going on. I hope this helps and that all is well with you and George!

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about George's troubles. It may be a simple skin infection around the eye, but something else that is always on the diagnosis list for cats is, ringworm. Ringworm is a fungus that can be transferred to people. Therefore, I would bring George in to see his veterinarian, so that he can be tested for that. Other possibilities for lesions like the one George has include, bacterial infections, infections with skin parasites, and even allergies. Regardless of the cause, I think the best thing for George is to have an examination, and even some diagnostics evaluated. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

Cats often over groom from stress and allergies. Giving medication for allergies should help control the itching and if George stops licking for a while then the skin should stop itching and hopefully you can then decrease or stop the medication. Making sure there are no fleas is important as one flea bite can cause itching for a week or more in some cats. Keeping George busy with toys and playing can help reduce boredom and time for overgrooming too. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for George.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! If her ears have been checked by a vet to ensure there is no infection I would be suspicious she could have an allergy, either to a food ingredient https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951526 (most often a protein source and not grain as so many pet food commercials would have you believe) or an allergy to something in the environment like pollen/dust/etc. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952664 . I would recommend bringing Chessie into the vet for an examination. This often requires at least a short course of medication to get the itching under control, such as a steroid, Atopica (cyclosporine) or Apoquel. The vet can discuss if a diet trial with a hypoallergenic diet is recommended and help you decide on the best diet for Chessie to try.

This sounds like a reaction to fleas or some other allergen. Fleas are the most likely. Fleas don't live on the animals so make sure you treat your house and yard for fleas as well. Make sure you have them both on a high quality flea preventative like frontline plus or comfortis or cheristan. The over the counter flea preventative like hartz don't usually work and can cause bad reactions. Finally, since you are seeing scabs and swollen bald areas, they likely have secondary bacterial infection. I would have your vet do an exam. They will be able to determine if they need an antibiotics or even an injection to help with the itching. I hope this helps.

This is likely either skin mites or ringworm. Poor kitty. He needs to be seen by your vet for skin testing to determine which is likely so that he can start treatment for this right away. Best wishes at the vet and I hope his skin clears up soon. Take care.

The most common reasons that cats scratch at their ears are infections or infestations with ear mites. Ear mites can be treated by several different medications, some of which are over the counter and others that are prescription only. If there is an infection, an antimicrobial flush plus cleaning would be needed to clear up the affected ear. Steroids might also be warranted to assist with some of the inflammation and discomfort associated with the infection. Keep the e-collar on for the time being until you have resolved the problem. Sparrow will only make it worse as soon as you remove it, as you have already noted.