My cat has a red, rough, hairless spot near his ear. What is it?

The photo is not very clear but I suspect Toby has a wound or a tooth root abscess. Due to the potential for an abscess, I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian. It’s always best to play it safe. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Toby 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 Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.

It looks like scabbing may be on Wizard's head. This can be from irritation from his ear or even eye. If he is trying to rub or scratch one or the other he can be getting this spot. I would recommend a visit to the veterinarian to have his eye, ear and skin in the area evaluated. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Xiaoqi. Some cats will have abrasions to this area if they have been scratching at their ears. Have you noticed him doing this or shaking his head? If so, he may have an ear infection. You can also check the ears for redness or a waxy build up. If you notice these signs, then he will need to see a veterinarian. If not, monitor the red area closely. It should resolve within a few days. If not or the red spot gets larger, he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Hi there! There are a few things this could be including, primary dermatological problem, trauma (especially if you have another cat in the house that could have swatted Hugo and scratched his face), or potentially tooth related. I would recommend having the area evaluated by a veterinarian for diagnostics like skin scrape for skin problems, clip/clean if trauma, and an oral exam/oral x-rays to identify a tooth related problem. Another option would be to continue to monitor the area. Any changes such as spreading hair loss, swelling, drainage, or if Hugo becomes bothered by the lesion he definitely needs to be seen by a veterinarian. I think it is worth going ahead and taking him in so that things do not progress. Hope this helps!

This may be a bacterial or yeast infection on the ear margins and spreading. You can keep it clean with warm soap and water, just be careful to not get it in her ear, and rub a small, thin amount of Neosporin to the area. If it does not improve then she needs to be seen by your vet on Monday

That does look suspicious for a bite though it could also be a scab for many reasons. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian if there is a chance he got in a fight. Bites often turn into abscesses and giving him an antibiotic as soon as you see the wounds can help prevent that. I hope this helps.