My cat has scabs and bald spots. Is a vet visit necessary for this?

I would recommend a vet visit. There is a possibility that this could be ringworm which is a contagious fungal infection. It may just be a scratch or abrasion but the vet can look at it and determine if further testing or treatment is needed.

There could be a couple of things causing these scabs such as mites, allergies, ringworm, or fleas. I think Miran should see a vet before Friday. The vet can diagnose what is causing this skin problem, and can treat him. Best of luck.

Scabs and hair loss in a young cat make me start thinking ringworm, so I would recommend that you have Pluto checked out by a vet. It is possible they could be incurred while he is hunting. Allergies are another possibility, although this isn't a typical presentation for them. If Pluto seems itchy, then it is possible that he is traumatizing his skin while itching, and should get checked out for fleas, ear mites, allergies, bacterial infection, ringworm, etc.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Ciciregularly 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. This isn't an emergency by any means.

Poor Kamakazi! I'm sorry to hear that he's having skin issues. Unfortunately, there are a number of different things that can cause skin problems like this in cats - most of them will require prescription medication from your vet to treat, so I'm afraid there is probably no way around taking him to the vet for this. If he isn't currently on any medication for fleas, one thing you could try is applying a topical flea medication such as Advantage to see if this helps. If not, then it's likely that his condition is due to an allergy of some kind, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). In that case, he will definitely need to see a vet, as none of these problems can be treated with over the counter medication. A vet visit for this problem does not necessarily need to be expensive - in my area, an exam fee is usually around $45. After that, even if you aren't able to afford any testing, the vet can discuss some options for treating the problem symptomatically with inexpensive prescription meds such as a steroid or antibiotic if needed.

If the issue is progressing then it is likely something that needs to be seen by a vet. It's possible there is an underlying metabolic issues, especially with Cal's age, or there is something such as parasites or a skin infection causing the hair loss. Keeping him from licking and chewing the area with an Elizabethan (cone) collar may help resolve the issue, but if it keeps worsening or doesn't improve, it needs to be seen. If he has trouble going into a carrier, using some very smelly warmed up cat food or even fried chicken to entice him to enter the carrier may help make it easier to get him to your vet. A pheromone diffuser spray can also help stressed cats relax some at the vet or in a car.

I am sorry that Pharaoh is not feeling well. It is very hard to tell by the pictures what is going on with the skin . It is possible an allergic reaction, skin infection, skin mites or even auto immune disease can cause the above lesions. It would be best for Pharaoh to go see a vet to get a better look and determine the cause for proper treatment. Hope that helps and pharaoh feels better soon