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Why is my cat itchy with scabs and hair loss on his legs and neck?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years old

My cat is starting to get scabs and places where he's losing hair. They're mostly on his legs, and there's some on his neck. I don't know if it's from being itchy or something else, thought he does scratch and groom himself a lot. What could this be?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 4th, 2019

If Oliver scratches and grooms himself a lot, he could be itchy. This itchiness could be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Best of luck.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Mara Howard, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 9th, 2017
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear she is having skin issues. Itching and lesions like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin parasites (fleas or mites), allergies, an infection (bacterial or fungal), or an underlying medical issue. I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for her skin issues, have any necessary testing done (skin scrape, culture, etc) and get started on any treatment that she may need (antibiotics, anti-itch medication, parasiticide). Good luck!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on January 3rd, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Poppy!

The skin lesions look allergic in nature. I would take Poppy to the Vet for antibiotics and steroids (to relieve the inflammation and itch). I would be aggressive with flea treatments and give all the cats something monthly. When cats and dogs are flea allergic it only takes ONE flea to cause that type of reaction on the skin. Otherwise I would recommend changing the type of food you are feeding. Food allergies in cats can manifest just like your picture. Chicken is the most common allergic protein, so I recommend changing to an all venison or fish diet. The diet takes several months to be effective which won't help Poppy's comfort in the short term, only medications will do that. If diet and aggressive flea prevention doesn't help and Poppy continues to have skin problems she may have atopy for environmental allergies.

I hope this helps and I wish Poppy a speedy recovery!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 7th, 2018
Hello, causes for this bald spot may be several. This could be associated with a mite infestation, ring worm, allergies, and your cat may also have a topical bacterial or yeast infection. These are typically treated medically with different medications prescribed by a veterinarian. If you are unable to reach a veterinarian then you could try and clean the area 2-3 times daily with skin sensitive baby wipes. If the area does not improve within 3-5 days or is getting worse then your cat will need to be seen by a veterinarian.

Please also ensure that your cat gets monthly anti-flea medications as occasionally fleas may cause severe itchiness.

Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your cat and wash his bedding/clothing 2-3 times weekly.

Hope this helps and best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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