My cat has a rash on his head. What could it be and how to treat?

Those spots on Romeo could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. Treat for fleas. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day with a medicated wipe for cats (not his whole body, just the lesions) if he will allow you. Don't get bitten. Just so you know, cat bites almost always get infected and could land you in the hospital. Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Unfortunately, there a lot of causes behind skin rashes and hair loss, which is why it is important to bring Duchess to a vet for a workup. Rashes can be caused by issues such as parasites (fleas, ticks, lice, ect) which can cause a bite allergy -- and does present similar to the picture you provided. Other causes of rashes can include bacterial or fungal infections, underlying illnesses, food or environmental allergens. I would treat Duchess for any fleas and also be sure to thoroughly wash all bedding, clean her environment, vacuum floorboards, etc. You can also try an allergy medication while treating for the fleas to help reduce irritation while she heals (your vet can give you the correct dosage for Duchess' weight and size). Using an old T-shirt or an Elizabethan (cone) collar to keep her from licking and chewing the irritated area can also help reduce the chances of an infection taking hold. It's still a good idea to schedule a vet visit even if you are doing home treatment. This can help rule out any other causes, and your vet can monitor progress on the allergy/flea treatment to make any adjustments if needed.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mouse! Thanks for the pictures! The most common reason for an itchy red rash in that location is allergies from the environment or from food. It isn't an emergency so he can be seen when ever you can get him in and your Vet is free. Steroids and antibiotics tend to clear it up as long as the underlying cause is found. Sometimes changing the food protein really can help if it is a food allergy. I wish you and Mouse the best!

Poor Rasha! This rash could be caused by a contact allergy or a skin infection. Without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain and it is best that he is seen by a vet for this rash. While you can give him an oatmeal bath will may help temporarily give him relief, it will not cure the rash. Curing the rash requires diagnosis of the cause and medications from the vet. Many human medications and ointments contain ingredients that are not safe for cats, so it's best to take him into the vet Monday morning to get this rash treated.

This is probably due to an 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, pollens, 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 if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

These areas on the skin look very suspicious of a ringworm infection or bacterial infection. Ms Pussington needs to be seen by a vet to get this looked at and treated. This won't respond to any at home treatment unfortunately. I would recommend scheduling an appt soon for her. In the meantime you can try cleaning the area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to provide a topical antiseptic clean. Nothing else should be placed on these wounds. She will likely need a skin scrape/cytology to identify the underlying pathogen and then treatment based on what the cause is. I hope she feels better soon.

Hi, I m slightly worried that perhaps this is not just reaction to the scratch but rather a ringworm infestation. It is difficult to tell from the picture. I do think that it is best to have Budd checked over as at least he can received a broader spectrum antibiotic cover and be checked over for ringworm. I hope this helps !