My cat has a rash under his neck. What's causing it and what to do?

Milo is a very handsome cat! There could be a couple of reasons why he has this rash under his mouth. It could be caused by a skin infection from bacteria or yeast, it could be due to feline acne, or it could be due to allergies among other causes. The best thing to do is have him seen by a vet for it to diagnose what is causing the rash. Once the cause is found, the vet can prescribe a treatment for it. I would gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap tonight, and if he's scratching at it, put an Ecollar on him. Scratching at it will make it worse and infected. I will put a link below on how to make an Ecollar at home, or you can get one at a pet store. Have him seen by a vet either Monday or Tuesday. Good luck, I hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly a focal infection though it is difficult to know without an examination of the area. If this is a superficial rash, you can try to use chlorhexidine containing pads (such as the Douxo chlorhexidine 3% PS pads) to clean the are twice daily for 7 days. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Rashes on the belly can be caused by a number of things ranging from allergies to environment or food, to bacterial or fungal infections on the skin. If the area is bothersome, placing a T-shirt or Elizabethan (cone) collar on your cat until he can be seen by the vet is best to prevent secondary infection from forming. You may also want to look into your cat's food for commonly allergenic ingredients such as corn, wheat and soy which could be causing the issue. If the issue isn't apparent, then having your vet take a look is best so that a treatment plan can be made.

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.

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.

Oh no, poor Paddy! Unfortunately without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain if this is something relatively minor. A rash in cats could be caused by an infection (bacteria or yeast), allergies, or insects (fleas, mites). This would also cause fur loss. In a senior cat, hyperthyroidism could cause hair loss. Make sure he is up to date on his flea treatments, giving him one such as Revolution or Advantage if he isn't. You will have to disinfect the environment as well. I would have him seen by a vet for this though, and I can give you a number of resources that may help you afford a vet. He does need a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to check on his overall health, and these tests can help diagnose if he does have hyperthyroidism or not, which is very common in senior cats. Once the cause of his symptoms is diagnosed, the vet can prescribe treatment for him. Affording a vet: You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.
 God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.
 The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.
 Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.


Hello, and thank you for the detailed photos. It appears to be a bald spot with some scaling. Possible reasons include a mild bacterial infection, fungal infection, mites, or allergies. I would suggest taking Rusti to the vet where they can perform a skin scraping and cytology test to check for some of the above. If there is no sign of infection, they may prescribe some medication to help reduce inflammation and itchiness in the skin, in case of allergies. In the meantime, if he is scratching at the area, you can place an e-collar (cone) over his head to help prevent further trauma. I hope this helps, and that Rusti is feeling better soon!