My pet has hair loss around its nose. Is it mites, ringworm, or other?

These types of lesions are normally seen with a skin infection, but ringworm does not typically look like this. The fact that she has been licking more may be the reason for her developing a skin infection of her muzzle. These infections often develop when there is excessive moisture, or when something is irritating the muzzle. This can happen when their mouth has contact with a plant, or substance that irritates the skin. These type of infections are usually managed well at home with daily cleaning. I recommend rinsing the are with cool water, then wiping it with a medicated wipe (can get this at the pet store). It's best if you can do this twice a day. If the lesions are not starting to heal after a week of treatment, or are getting worse, then I recommend taking her to the vet. The vet will be able to diagnose the specific cause of this and provide the best treatment. I hope that helps and Little Bear gets better soon.

I would be really suspicious of ringworm. Although there could be other causes as well such as stick tight fleas, frost bite, infections, etc. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. In the meantime please practice good hygiene after handling him as ringworm is contagious to people as well. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for reaching out about Ghost and including a photo. By the looks of the picture, a fungal dermatitis (ringworm) should be considered. This is contagious to other rodents and possibly humans. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. AS this is close to the eye, systemic anti-fungal medications are preferred as opposed to topicals that might get into the eye. Good luck.

This could be due to a fungal infection. Yeast infections are common near the mouth, because of how much moisture there is. These infections can be controlled by keeping the area clean and dry. The other possibility is that this is ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection that causes hair loss and is often found on the face and the feet. Check her for any other bald patches. If you see any more of these lesions, then it's likely ringworm and will need to be treated by a vet. It's best to take Mina in to have this diagnosed by a veterinarian, because ringworm can spread to different parts of the body and can spread to people. Also, the more involved the infection, the longer it will take to clear. For now, I recommend washing your hands anytime you touch Hoss. You can keep the area clean by gently wiping with Pet Wipes (a medicated wipe that you can get at the pet store) 2-3 times a day. I hope that helps and this clears-up soon.

A picture of the skin would help a lot here to help classify what this likely is. With your description however, it sounds likely that this may be either a bacterial or fungal infection. Bacterial infections are often caused by a wound on the skin that didn't heal properly. I would have your vet take a look at the area or repost with an actual picture so that we can give you more advice on treatment. However, this likely will require oral medication due to its location and the tendency for cats to lick in this area. I hope that your furry friends skin heals well soon! Best wishes and take care.

Ringworm is actually caused by a fungal infection (a bit of a misnomer!), so Pickle's deworming treatment will have no impact on the lesion on her nose. That said, ringworm lesions are typically areas of hair loss and dry scaling, and rarely have thick black scabs. It is possible that Pickle injured herself, causing this black lesion. At this point, I recommend monitoring the lesion for another week. If it seems to be going away, there is no reason for concern. However, if the lesion grows, becomes more red or itchy, she should be evaluated by her vet. I hope that all goes well!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am not sure I can fully see the area you are concerned about. If it is the area near the nose that has less hair or the 2 white/pink spots. I do not think anything about the picture is life threatening unless I am missing your concerns. Hair loss on the muzzle can be from trauma or repeated digging/rubbing with his nose, ring worm (fungal) or demodex (non-contagious mite). If the area doesn't improve or it spreads then I would have your Vet check him out. If he is rubbing his nose to bury things then prevent him from doing so. I wouldn't recommend putting anything topical on the nose because he will likely just lick it off. I hope this helps and please repost with clarification if needed.