Why is my indoor cat losing hair and has spots around her collar?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The cause of the hair loss could be allergies or skin mites as well. I would make sure the veterinarian scrapes the skin to check for parasites of the skin. This may also need an oral antibiotic in addition to topical therapy to see if it will respond. You can also try a different shampoo such as Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly. If there is no improvement and your vet is unable to resolve this, I would recommend a second opinion with a veterinary dermatologist if possible. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should try a different spot-on product. Local skin irritation and hair loss is the most common side effect of the spot-on medications but if you use a different one, it will hopefully not upset the skin. The other is a collar, for example Seresto.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it is hard to tell just in these pictures, I think cancer is less likely and something more benign like allergies and dermatitis is more likely. Ultimately, this requires further investigation to know for sure. This is possibly 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!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks like flea dirt. If you put "cat flea dirt" into a Google search you will see many photos that resemble this. I suggest you get her a GOOD flea prevention and treat your house and/or yard for fleas. You can bathe her if she will let you with Dawn dish soap. Use the dish soap sparingly as it is very concentrated. Be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. You should only need to bathe her once. Bathe her either 24 hour before OR after applying the topical flea medication. If you can't bathe her, don't worry too much about it. Once the medication kicks in and you treat the environment her clinical signs will resolve. I have linked some products for you below: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=120766 ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Virbac-Knockout-Treatment-Spray-16-Ounce/dp/B00AT6FY6A/ ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Killer-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B071XPK8M8/ ) Be sure to continue to use a topical flea prevention on her EVERY MONTH. Watch her poop closely in the coming months as often cats will get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. If you see any worms (look like grains of rice) on her poop or around her anus you should take her to your vet to get a dewormer. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may be referring to a focal infection. However, it is not possible to know this just based on a description or a picture. This would require an actual examination of the area to see what may be wrong so that therapy can be recommended. If this continues, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

[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.