My stray cat is losing hair and has spots on its head and neck. Help!

I would strongly recommend having your veterinarian examine Whiskey and perform a skin scraping to evaluate the reason for his itching and hair loss. There are a number of things that can cause itching and hair loss and they will often get worse until they are treated. With the locations of hair loss on Whiskey, I would be worried about Sarcoptes mites which are very itchy and contagious. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951492 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Whiskey feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From the pictures, it appears that there is "dirt" in the affected area you are referring to. This could be dry blood from a scab that was previously there or it could be what we call "flea dirt" which is dry blood from fleas. I would recommend administering a flea preventative such as Frontline and see if this helps. If the area becomes larger or multiple more areas begin to develop, I would recommend having a vet take a look at Soya so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would keep the collar off of her as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I recommend taking him to a veterinarian. If he is not on flea prevention I highly recommend using it as you may not always see fleas on cats. It looks like he has a skin infection and needs antibiotics so taking him to a vet is important. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

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.

[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.

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your description and the pictures you have provided, this sounds as though Boba may be dealing with an allergy. There is nothing concerning in the pictures. It is difficult to say what the cause is as there are so many things that can cause allergies. I would recommend by starting with the below recommended products. If there is no improvement, I would recommend having Boba examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. He may need prescription medication to help with the main problem. 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. 1. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for cats 2. Douxo PS Calm shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 3. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected areas until resolved. 4. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent