My cat has red spots on his skin. Are they allergies or infection?

Sylvestor's skin lesion looks quite inflamed and could be due to a skin infection from underlying allergies, ringworm or mange. I recommend taking him to the vet to rule out ringworm and mange, as these can be transmitted to people or other animals. If these issues are ruled out, Sylvestor may need topical or oral antibiotics to manage a skin infection, likely caused by allergies. Allergies in animals often occur to fleas (even one flea bite can cause issues in sensitive animals!), food or the surrounding environment, which then cause an animal to itch and develop a skin infection from itching. The vet will be able to prescribe appropriate medication to clear up this issue before it worsens. I hope that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. If it is just allergies then this is not expected to be contagious. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for posting the pictures. Allergies could most certainly be related. However the spots in the nose make me suspicious that he could’ve developing a skin infection (which are also commonly associated with allergies). If the spots on the nose don’t resolve soon, or if they become more numerous then I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian. In the meantime wiping the face daily with a wash rag and warm water may be helpful to wipe the pollens off. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach

I am sorry to hear about Jack! I would be concerned these could be a bacterial or fungal infection of the skin, and possibly a condition in cats called eosinophilic plaques or eosinophilic granuloma syndrome, which can be incited due to an allergy and usually resolves with steroid treatment. I would recommend bringing Jack in to his vet for an examination of the area.

Hi and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sight unseen, it is hard to say exactly what the cause of the spots are, but I can certainly offer a few possibilities. Red sores and spots can have many causes. Food allergies being one of them! It is possible she was allergic to the food she was eating. If you switched foods and she is now better with no sores or spots any longer, then perhaps a food allergy was the cause. However, there are other causes such as a flea allergy, other environmental allergy, fungal infection (ringworm), bacterial infection. The feline herpes virus causes on and off upper respiratory symptoms like sneezing, coughing, and ocular infections. Sores are not typically caused by the feline herpes virus. If the sores are not getting any better or appear to be getting worse, you may want to take your cat into a veterinarian so she can be properly diagnosed. If the sores looks very red and infected, your vet may prescribe an antibiotic. I hope this has helped and I wish you and your cat the very best!

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. Those do not definitely look like your typical ringworm lesions. They look like your cat has been scratching at them often and likely developed a hot-spot from this. It can be associated with allergies or fleas and will require some medications to control the itchiness and local infection. Finally, your veterinarian may opt to obtain a hair culture to completely rule out the possibility of ringworm. Hope this helps and best of luck.

That looks like an infection with how red it is and the fur lose. Allergies and skin mites would be other potential causes though less common. There may not be much you can do at home. 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 her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. 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 her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.