My indoor cat licked his tummy bald with red marks. What's causing it?

The areas in the picture look quite ulcerated, probably from the excessive licking. Possible causes for licking include from itching, which can happen with fleas, mites, ringworm, allergies, bacterial infection, among others. Sometimes cats will overgroom themselves (called fur mowing) and cause damage to the skin, which hurts and so they keep licking and just make it worse! Here is a helpful article on fur mowing. I hope that your vet will get Jinx to feeling better soon! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear about Oreo. Looks like he is definitely over grooming this area. There are many causes including something that caused an itch sensation (external parasite bite from fleas, ticks, mites, etc), bacterial infection, allergies, stress or psychogenic cause, or something called Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex. I would advise taking Oreo to your veterinarian. Once pets start licking/scratching a certain spot, the surface of the skin gets compromised and bacteria living on the surface of the skin can cause a skin infection. This just increases and encourages the itch cycle to continue until it is treated. Your vet can get a history, perform a physical examination, and then advise a diagnostic/treatment plan. Oreo may just need some good flea/tick control, some antibiotics, some anti-inflammatory medicine (steroid), and an Elizabethan Collar to prevent licking until the area heals. Also, if stress is involved, that can be addressed also. Good luck with Oreo. Here is a link to learn about Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex if that's what is going on. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/eosinophilic.cfm

Hello! Cats commonly cope with anxiety by over-grooming themselves, usually in their belly region. I think you are exactly right that she has licked the fur off. In a fungal infection, I would expect to see redness of the skin, crusting, or discharge. The first thing I'd recommend for anxious kitties is a product called Feliway. It's a feline pheromone product that helps naturally calm cats. It can come in diffuser, spray, and collar forms. Cats also find great comfort in height. If she doesn't have many high places to perch around the house, that can be something that helps her interact more. There are also options of anxiolytic drugs, such as Prozac, that can help if you don't find success in the other options. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Marley! Looks like he has licked himself raw and there is now an infection there. This can come from fleas (even 1 flea bite can cause an allergic reaction), outdoor allergies, or anything else that caused mild skin irritation that caused him to start licking. The licking has likely made it worse. I would recommend to contact your vet for an exam as he likely needs these spots clean and some antibiotics. Make sure you stop him from licking these spots by placing a cone collar on him. I hope he starts to feel better soon.

It could be an allergy or food sensitivities. It may also be behavioral or boredom. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further licking. Have your veterinarian examine Astro to diagnose skin infection (bacterial or fungal) and to discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets and food elimination trials. Consider interactive toys to keep him distracted and pheromone products such as Feliway spray or plug in diffuser to decrease any anxiety.

This looks pretty bad, and unfortunately any OTC creams will just be licked off by Happy. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. You need to have her seen by a vet to have this treated.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Lily regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.