Kittens losing fur, limping, and scared: Do they need a vet?

Poor kitty. This looks like a really bad skin infection and could be due to an underlying flea allergy. Luckily veterinary hospitals are considered an essential business, so most are open even with the lockdown keeping other things closed. Your cat needs to see a vet to get this taken care of and also figure out what is causing him to limp? He will need at the very least antibiotics to help clear up this skin infection. I do hope that you are can find an open vet close to you soon. Best of luck and take care.

Your kitten needs to be seen by a veterinarian. This sounds like a chronic infection which needs to be addressed. Matted fur is a sign of the cat not grooming itself and not playing is also a sign of not being well. This is not going to go away by itself. Please take your kitten to a vet tomorrow morning.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The pictures are good but it's still tough to see what is going on. Hair loss with dry/flaky skin is often indicative of ringworm especially in kittens. This is highly contagious to other animals and to people making it a zoonotic disease. I would definitely have a vet evaluate the litter and start treatment for a fungal infection right away to prevent this from getting worse. I would quarantine the litter away from all other pets and humans especially young children and the elderly since they are most likely to get infected. Even the shed hairs can contain fungal spores so direct contact with the animals is not required to get infected. It could be something else but in the pictures it is highly suspect since it looks like the paws and tail are affected. Other possibilities include mites, bacteria, external parasites (fleas, etc), dietary problems, intestinal parasite problems, among other things. Your vet can evaluate them and advise a woods lamp exam, skin scrape, fungal culture, hair analysis, etc to determine what is going on. The ears could be infected with ear mites and they could evaluate those also. Eye problems in young kittens are often due to viruses which infect the eyes and cause upper respiratory infections. These are contagious also along with the ear mites to other cats and dogs. Your vet can evaluate everything that is going on a make a plan to solve the puzzle. They can advise a sound treatment plan in addition to guiding you in preventive health care items including deworming, vaccines, flea/tick products, etc. Good luck and I hope it's not ringworm.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kittens. I would recommend that they see their veterinarian as there is a viral infection that is easily spread between kittens. It can cause a fever, limping, oral ulcers as well as upper respiratory signs such as sneezing. It is known as the calicivirus. They may require medication. In the meantime, keep them comfortable, help them move when necessary and encourage them to eat and drink. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kitten. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today. His behavior is worrisome. Even if you are not able to locate his pain, it sounds like he is sore if he is limping. There is a viral disease in kittens that can cause a fever, lameness and ulcers in the mouth. His veterinarian will examine him and determine if this is the case or if he has another problem. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bootsie! Causes of limping in kittens are: strain or sprain, infection, abscess, bite from another cat, less likely a broken bone in her case or even viral. If she is eating and active you can give her a day. But if she isn't better or normal by Friday I would have her seen before the weekend. I wish Bootsie the best!

I would rest them over the weekend. No running, jumping, or playing. Keep them indoors at all times if they are allowed outside, and put them each into their own rooms to keep them quiet. If they still appears painful after this time, then I would take them into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. They may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give them any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.