My cat is losing weight, hair, and has skin rashes. What should I do?

Cats that are losing weight despite eating often have a thyroid condition although there could be other reasons like diabetes or kidney disease which are also common. I suggest you have Simba to your vet for an exam and some blood testing.

Poor guy. It sounds like Simba could very well have inflammatory bowel disease if he is vomiting this much. The next best step here though to ensure we have not missed anything is some baseline bloodwork (check organ function and clues) and an abdominal ultrasound to look at the intestines for signs of inflammation. If inflammatory bowel disease is the most likely cause, then Simba will need to go on a prescription diet for best results. Some good options to consider are: Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Hydrolyzed protein, Hlil's Z/D Ultra or Royal Canin Selected protein PR. A short course of steroids should also be considered to help calm things down. Here is more information on inflammatory bowel disease in cats and the treatment options in detail --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=7393377 Another possible causes here is a hairball obstruction, so it is important to get Simba to your vet for radiographs of his stomach and look into this possible cause. If a hairball trichobezoar (hairball mass) is the cause, then it may need surgical removal. If it is not a severe case then your vet likely will try some stool softeners and hairball formula to see if this can resolve the issue. I hope that Simba does well moving forward and that you get a handle on her frequent vomiting episodes. Best of luck and take care.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting in cats can be caused by hair balls, intestinal parasites, toxin ingestion, or even foreign body obstructions of the intestines. These signs can be unrelated to the hair loss, which may be caused by certain infections and hormonal or behavioral abnormalities. I recommend having Zimba seen by a vet if he continues to vomit or develops diarrhea or has a loss of appetite/energy. His area of hair loss should also be evaluated, as it may be caused by a fungal infection that can even be transmitted to humans. I hope this helps and that all is well with Zimba!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are descri bing could be secondary to a bacterial skin infection or allergies. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look cheech to try and figure okkut why he is losing weight and why he is scratching. He may need s course of an antibiotic if this is a skin infection. I would check his thyroid level as well to make sure the weight loss is not from hyperthyroidism. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry your cat is having this issue. I suggest you get him to your vet for a check up and some blood testing. Thyroid disease is very common in older cats as is kidney disease and diabetes. All of these things can cause similar symptoms and all are easily diagnosed with simple blood testing. You need to realize that at 17 years old he is about 85 in human years. At this age, things start to fail and go wrong. You need to find out what is wrong so you know how to best treat him. Some things are very easily treated with daily medications. I don't think this is something you are going to be able treat at home without knowing what the underlying cause is. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

[Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/) are the most common cause of hair loss and [excessive grooming in cats](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), but there are several other medical causes as well - including [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/), bacterial or fungal infections, or skin mites. I would definitely start your cat on a good monthly spot-on product such as [Advantage II](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-flea-and-tick/cat-flea-and-tick-drops/advantage-ii-once-a-month-cat-and-kitten-topical-flea-treatment-over-9-lbs) to make sure fleas are not the problem - you can get this over the counter at many pet stores. If this doesn't resolve the problem, you will need to have your cat examined by a vet - he/she can do some testing if needed to diagnose the problem and get your kitty the appropriate prescription medications to treat it. Behavioral causes, such as stress or anxiety, can also lead to overgrooming. [Calming supplements](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/cat/cat-training/cat-training-calming-aids/calming-cat-supplements) or [pheromone products](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/brand/feliway) can be found at the lcocal Petco. If these do not improve the condition, your veterinarian may recommend prescription strength remedies.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to a number of reasons such as allergies, a bacterial infection, mange, among many other reasons. It does sound like you think he may be feeling sick as well so I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment so that he can be started on the right therapy. Best of luck!