What causes red skin on my cat's face between eye and ear?

Is your pet itching or scratching at its head/ears? Outdoor kitty with the potential for being in a fight or being wounded? These could be excoriations/superficial wounds. If your pet is scratching/itching a lot than these could be caused by an ear infection (bacteria/yeast/ear mites) or allergy (food, flea, etc.), etc. Some medications older cats take can also cause an itchy face, so if your pet is taking a new medication this could be the cause and you should alert your veterinarian. As the lesions appear raw and ulcerated the best plan would be to have your pet seen by your family veterinarian for an exam and ear assessment. That way if medications are needed to improve comfort they can be prescribed. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Scratching around the ears or eyes may indicate an allergy, or may even indicate a problem with the ears themselves such as an infection or ear mites (very common in cats). Signs of [ear mites](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/ear-mites/) include dark or dirty debris that is black or deep red in appearance, or you may see other debris that is foul-smelling in the ears. Ear mites and infections usually require a sample being taken by the vet to determine the exact cause, as well as a regimen of [cleaning the ears](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-clean-your-cat-s-ears-what-you-need-to-know/) with a medicated cleaner for 7-10 days. Ear mites can be spread to other pets, so treating any other dogs or cats in the house at the same time is best. If the ears are clear but you are seeing redness, it may indicate an allergy, or even possible problems such as [ring worm](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/ringworm/) (which appear as a red "target" ring that will gradually increase in size over time, and IS contagious to other pets and people). Your vet can provide you with an allergy medication dosage to treat minor allergies, or may ask you to bring in your cat for an exam if you suspect ringworm or other skin infections.

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. Indoor cats can still pick up fungal or parasitic infections, so if the lesion does not resolve or if it gets worse, I recommend making an appointment to have Dunki seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesion you’ve noticed and to make sure it is treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment.

Hi and thanks for your post! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Onyx's skin condition may be without examining Onyx first, but red hairless lesions around the face and head are suspicious of a fungal infection or perhaps mites. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a few simple tests of Onyx's skin and hair. I would recommend Onyx visit his vet soon to have the possibilities above ruled out. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about George's troubles. It may be a simple skin infection around the eye, but something else that is always on the diagnosis list for cats is, ringworm. Ringworm is a fungus that can be transferred to people. Therefore, I would bring George in to see his veterinarian, so that he can be tested for that. Other possibilities for lesions like the one George has include, bacterial infections, infections with skin parasites, and even allergies. Regardless of the cause, I think the best thing for George is to have an examination, and even some diagnostics evaluated. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

This is a common place for kitties to develop lesions when they are having a chronic allergy. Some possibilities include food allergy, flea allergy, medication allergy, or environmental allergy. The first step is to ensure he is on a good course of flea preventative. Dietary allergies are usually ruled out by performing a diet trial - feeding a special prescription hypoallergenic food for a period of time. If it turns out he has an environmental allergy, he may need seasonal or lifelong allergy treatment. A short course of anti-inflammatory steroid medication may be needed to resolve this inflammation. A local veterinarian can examine Benny and help determine which course of action is best based on his history and what seems the most likely cause.

Whenever you hear about a raised red patch on a cat you have to be concerned about either an ringworm infection (rough surfaces) or a condition called eosinophilic plaques (immune mediated disorder that is usually smooth surfaced). To figure out which is most likely the cause it would help to actually see a photo of the area in question. If it is still unclear then some testing of the skin may be needed. Your local vet can do a skin impression smear and/or fungal culture to diagnose ringworm, while eosinophilic plaques can be confirmed with a skin biopsy. If you need you can also request a consultations other either myself or another expert here so that you can share a photo of the area in question. I hope this helps and good luck figuring things out with Maggie.