My cat has neck hair loss. Why isn't his usual cream working now?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, 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 any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

[Hair loss](https://www.petcoach.co/article/causes-of-hair-loss-alopecia-in-cats/) can be caused by allergies or infection of the skin, and in severe cases by metabolic issues. Chronic stress or excessive licking of an area can also lead to hair loss in just one particular place. Preventing your cat from licking and chewing at the area with the use of a T-shirt or Elizabethan collar (cone) may help. Examine the area for redness,parasites, bleeding, bruising or discharge. If you see a target-like or red "ring" of irritation, it may indicate a fungal infection called [ringworm](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/ringworm/), which can be easily spread to other people and pets so should be handled carefully. If you do see anything suspicious, consider an exam with your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis and treatment. Hair regrowth may take a few months depending on how much hair is lost as well as the underlying cause.

Poor Neo! Pattern baldness like this can be caused by a number of things -- typically parasites, fungal infections and bacterial infections, which your vet seems to have ruled out already at your last exam and with the antibiotics. That said, other causes such as allergies (to food or environment) and stress leading to excessive rubbing or grooming may also cause pattern baldness along with flaking of the skin. If the antibiotics haven't helped, I'd bring Neo back to your vet for additional testing, such as a skin scraping to send to a lab (if it wasn't done last check) to more strictly rule out any remaining infection/parasites that could be taking hold. I would also see if your vet can provide an antihistamine to see if it helps -- a sign that it could be allergy related. A food trial may also be recommended by your vet if food allergies are suspected. If all health issues are ruled out, looking to anxiety or overgrooming as a cause is a good next step. Pheromone diffusers to reduce stress, increased play time, stopping manual grooming with an E-collar, and consulting a local animal behaviorist or trainer can all help.

That spot on Lewis could be several things including allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. 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. Here is a link about ringworm: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ringworm-in-cats/ If the lesion does not start improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. Testing for ringworm is easy and you may opt to do that whenever you like. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Tora! This hair loss could be due to a skin or fungal infection, fleas, mites, allergies, or endocrine disorder. Having her seen by a vet tomorrow is a good idea, as the vet can diagnose the cause and can treat her. Best of luck.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea her 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.

I have seen this as a reaction to certain spot-on flea/tick treatments, vaccines and microchipping. If any of these were recently done, then I would be most suspicious of them being the cause. The skin appears a red, which indicates that something is irritating it and it appears oily, but I'm assuming that's from the antibiotic ointment. For now, it's best to just keep the area clean with a medicated cat shampoo. You can get this at the pet store. I would clean it once daily and not put the antibiotic cream on it. Use cool water when washing and rinsing to give some relief. You can stop the daily cleanings when the skin appears healthy again and the hair is obviously growing back. If the hair loss continues and the skin appears worse, then it's best to have a vet look at it, because it may need special treatment. I hope that helps and Phoebe gets better soon.