Why is my cat losing hair in a quarter-sized spot on his arm?

This could be a skin infection caused by a fungus (ringworm), or bacteria or an old injury. Since ringworm is contagious to people and other pets in the house, I suggest you have this examined by your veterinarian to rule out a fungal infection. In the meantime do wash your hands after handling your kitty. Your vet will want to take a brush sample from the spot and culture it and until the culture has grown, will probably give you some medication to treat it.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a variety of reasons that can explain alopecia or hair loss. The causes can easily be differentiated by the clinical signs associated with it and the physical exam findings. If Freckles is only showing some hair loss without scratching or overgrooming then it could conditions such as alopecia areata that can affect cats and usually resolves on its own. If there is evidence of scratching and you start noticing some redness or irritation associated with it, then other conditions such as allergies are possible. If you notice him overgrooming himself in that area then it could be something like psychogenic alopecia which is more of a behavioral issue. I think that since he is not having overt clinical signs and it is mostly hair loss, I think it is possibly transient and could resolve on its own. You can monitor this closely and if it does not resolve or it worsens then have him examined by your veterinarian. Good luck!

That hairless area could be related to a bacterial infection, a fungal infection (which could be contagious to humans) or a healing wound. I can’t tell if it is raised or not. If the area is raised, then I think you should get it checked out as certain skin cancers can look like this. If the area is nice and smooth, then I think you could monitor it and see what happens over the next two weeks. If it doesn’t go away or if it gets worse, then take him in to be seen. Of course you can always have him examined as you will likely get answers faster that way. At home make sure the area is protected from scratching or licking. Otherwise you can leave it alone but look at it daily. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

This is likely a local skin infection. If it is in the area where you put topical flea prevention, it could be a reaction to that. Since the hair and skin is coming off so readily, I would have your vet take a look soon to ensure he doesn't need any antibiotics to help prevent it from spreading or getting worse. You can try some Benadryl, but this may not help. I hope this helps and he starts to heal quickly! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Milo! If it is only a small area of hair loss it could be from him hitting or rubbing on something outside or an altercation with another cat. Other causes of hair loss are: skin infections, allergies, chin acne, ring worm or mites. It is hard to advise you on at home treatment with out seeing a picture or examining Milo. If the skin is not raw my best advice it to leave it be and monitor the area. If the area increased in size or the hair doesn't start to regrow then you should have your Vet examine Milo. I hope this helps and I wish Milo the best!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This does not look like ringworm. It just looks like scratches or abrasions. If he is stray he most likely has fleas that is causing him to scratch that area. If he will let you apply medication you can use this product (linked below) on the affected area. Apply as many times as he will let you. Also, if you can get him treated for fleas that would nice. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-cat-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-3-fl-oz-2659685 ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/advantage-ii-once-a-month-topical-small-cat-flea-treatment-6-mo-5-to-9-lbs-3036244 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.