Why is my outdoor cat losing hair all over and having diarrhea?

I would make sure that Chiqui is on a really good flea control program. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. I would also take her into the vet for a visit on Monday. When a cat has a bad flea allergy, they sometimes need steroids to stop the itchiness, which a vet can prescribe.

I would think the scabs are most likely due to itching secondary to fleas. I would recommend applying a flea prevention every 30 days to all stay cats if you can. If you really cannot catch them I would try to spray the environment with pet friendly flea killer. It can be very hard to manage fleas in outdoor animals

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From the pictures, it appears that there is "dirt" in the affected area you are referring to. This could be dry blood from a scab that was previously there or it could be what we call "flea dirt" which is dry blood from fleas. I would recommend administering a flea preventative such as Frontline and see if this helps. If the area becomes larger or multiple more areas begin to develop, I would recommend having a vet take a look at Soya so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would keep the collar off of her as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Not all flea medications are equal. I find that fipronil/Frontline products don't work very well. I would recommend that you talk to your vet about a prescription product like Bravecto or Revolution, or try a Seresto collar. Fighting cat fleas is tough, and even with excellent products, it may take 3 or more months to get rid of the fleas due to their life cycle and new fleas hatching. See the articles below. That being said, overgrooming (hair loss) and black skin (caused by chronic inflammation) can be caused by many things. Food allergies are possible, but Rengar is more likely to be allergic to chicken or beef than grains. Anxiety or pain are other possible causes. It would be a good idea to discuss this with your vet. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-best-flea-prevention-plan-for-your-cat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help/

[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.

Hairloss is not a common side effect of diarrhea. In some cases, if the diarrhea is severe enough and your cat is not absorbing proper nutrients then yes, it could cause hairloss. However, it is much more likely that your cat has more than one issue going on and a trip to the veterinarian is indicated to help sort things out.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea her regularly 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.