Why is my cat shedding, losing tail hair, and has white skin flakes?

If you notice several pets affected, things like fleas, skin mites and ringworm become more suspicious. I recommend to check them/treat them for fleas. If they do not respond with 2 weeks or if they start getting worse, figure out a way to have them examined. You may look into financing through Care Credit or Scratch Pay. Lastly, you may call the local humane society to ask if they offer/know of any low cost solutions. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The most common sign of a thyroid problem in cats is weight loss. Hair loss around the tail could be secondary to a skin infection, fleas, allergies, etc. The best thing would be to schedule an appointment with your vet for a physical examination to determine the cause and treat. Your cat may need an antibiotic and/or an anti-inflammatory to treat.

The most common cause of hair loss around the tail is from flea allergies so I would definitely check her thoroughly for fleas. Other possibly causes are anal gland problems, seasonal allergies, ringworm, mites, infections. She should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Hello. There could be a couple of things going on with Harry. Cats can lose hair around the base of their tail when they are allergic to something, when they have suffered an injury to that area, or when their anal glands are impacted. It does sound like he's uncomfortable, and any of these conditions can cause discomfort. I would monitor and if this continues take him into your vet. They can check the area and find out the cause. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The most common cause of hair loss at the base of the tail would be fleas or flea allergies. It can be difficult to see adult fleas on cats since they tend to groom them off, but if you take a flea comb to the base of the tail you should be able to see flea dirt if fleas are a problem. Other possibilities include seborrhea (or 'stud tail'), or allergies. If Puck seems itchy or the underlying skin seems irritated and you have ruled out fleas I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to determine what might be causing the hair loss.

If there is fit missing I’d recommend seeing your vet for a physical exam. Tyler might have a skin infection, allergies or parasites like fleas. I would guess that Tyler might be grooming more than usual as well.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be fleas, infection or mites.

First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation.

 If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy.

 Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.