Why is my outdoor cat losing hair around his ears and hard to vet?

It looks like Apollo has been scratching that area and maybe made a scratch with one of his nails. I would be concerned if he is continuously trying to scratch his ear that he has an ear infection. I would recommend a veterinarian if he is scratching at his ear more recently to have them check his ear out. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for your post! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Floyd hair loss may be due to without examining Floyd first, but some possibilities may include a fungal infection (such as ringworm), mites, or allergy related. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and some blood work. I would recommend Floyd visit his vet soon to have the possibilities above explored so he can get the most appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!

I think you should get a second opinion from another vet. There are many causes of hair loss from the ears. They include fungal infections, fur mite or flea infestation, allergies from food and/or the environment, hormonal imbalances, environmental conditions, autoimmune disease, dietary deficiencies, behavioral issues, etc.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria but fungal infections are possible as well). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I agree that is considerable alopecia. I would take her in to your vet and have her skin tested for a possible Demodexx mites issue. If she is scratching these areas a lot then a fle allergy or atopic dermatitis have to be considered and treated. I hope that you get to the bottom of Brownies hair loss soon. The treatment she needs is entirely dependent on the underlying cause. Best wishes moving forward with her care.

Sometimes cats will lose the hair on and around the ears as they age. Other causes would be those you mentioned, as well as some less common things. If you are concerned, I would recommend taking Moody to the vet for physical examination.

Poor Panda! I can tell by the look of his ears that he has been scratching at them quite a bit causing some self trauma which is evident by the red spots (erythema), hair loss and inflammation. A very common cause in cats would be ear mites. This is a very easily treatable condition that your veterinarian would be able to dignose and treat effectively. Best of luck!