Usually in animals it is the condition of the coat that primarily indicates health problems. If a cat has a thick shiny coat, most likely she will receive proper care, eat well and have good health. But if the hair begins to fall out, bald patches and inflammation form on the skin, then something is wrong in the animal’s body. Consider why cats are balding. In what cases is this normal? How to treat baldness and what is the prevention?
When hair loss is normal
Hair loss does not always indicate cat health problems. This is sometimes quite normal. Seasonal molting is one of the main causes of hair loss in a cat. Before the summer, the pet's fur coat is reduced in volume to avoid overheating in warm weather.
Pregnant and lactating animals lose a lot of hair. The cat's bald stomach and the space around the nipples make it easier for kittens to suck milk. During this period, it is very important to give the pet a full-fledged feed, including all the necessary vitamins.
Quite often elderly cats are balding. This is a natural process. If the animal does not show any other symptoms of a possible disease, do not worry.
If the animal wears a collar, hair may fall in its place. It also happens that the hair does not grow in place of large scars and scars.
Allergy
A cat may become bald due to an allergic reaction. Her place begins to itch in the area of the withers or on the muzzle, because of which the animal strongly combes it, pulling out the hair and scratching it. Without treatment, the cat will constantly comb the skin to the blood, which is dangerous by blood poisoning or infection.
Quite often, a food component can serve as an allergen. You need to buy hypoallergenic pet food in order to exclude this option. If the problem persists, you must look for other possible sources of allergies. It can be plant pollen, household chemicals, flea bites, even dust. Sometimes, if the source of the allergy is not found, injections of hormonal drugs that are done once every few months can help. It is also important to cover the claw-afflicted area with a bandage or tissue until the cat aggravates or the treatment helps.
Stress
Sometimes the cause of the cat getting bald can be stress. If the animal is in a dangerous situation, its house or owner has changed, the hair begins to literally crumble. If the animal has a balanced psyche and good health, then it quickly adapts to new conditions, and then the problem disappears. However, if the pet cannot recover for a long time, sometimes only sedatives can help.
It is better not to touch the cat that is experiencing stress once again. She should have a shelter where she can feel safe. You can build relationships with your new pet with food and toys. You can lay your personal thing where the cat sleeps, so that she quickly gets used to the smell of a new owner.
Lichen
Lichen is a fungal disease that is dangerous to humans. First of all, it affects weakened and sick animals, it is very common in street cats. With lichen, the head, neck and limbs are bald. Scabs form on bald areas of the skin. If the animal is not treated, lichen can affect the entire body. In this case, the cat does not itch, and therefore it is possible to notice lichen in time only by periodically examining the skin of the animal.
Only a veterinarian can accurately determine lichen by making a scraping or by illuminating the affected area with a special lamp. Even after treatment, the affected areas of the skin may remain bald.
Fleas and ticks
When infected with skin parasites, the animal initially begins to itch strongly, feel anxious. Over time, some areas of the skin may begin to bald. Fleas can cause not only baldness of a cat, but also anemia. Withdrawing them is not so difficult: you can wash the cat with a special shampoo, drip the medicine at the withers or treat it with a special tool. Do not ignore this problem, because infection with fleas can lead to very unpleasant consequences.
The ears of a cat can bald with a running form of an ear tick. An ear mite causes severe itching. Dark dirt forms inside the auricles - these are mite waste products. To remove the tick, you need to regularly clean the animal’s ears with cotton buds and hydrogen peroxide.
The cat balds at the tail, in the ears and eyes, on the nose and paw pads in case of infection with a subcutaneous tick. This tick is contagious to humans. To get rid of it, medication is necessary.
Ticks cause cat inconvenience, causing severe itching, but they can also lead to infection of the animal with dangerous infections. Some species are dangerous to humans. To prescribe an effective treatment, the animal must be shown to the doctor.
Adenitis
Most often, adenitis is observed in males. This is a hereditary disease manifested in adolescence or old age. As a result, small crusts form on the ears and head. The wool in these places can be easily pulled out of the skin, and the animal will not even feel it. The affected areas are rounded, sometimes an unpleasant odor emanates from them. If the disease is not cured on time, it goes to the back and to the base of the tail.
Adenitis appears due to improper functioning of the sebaceous glands. Only a doctor can diagnose it and prescribe treatment after examining a skin scraping.
Folliculitis
This is an infectious disease that affects the hair follicles, which is accompanied by baldness in cats. This disease causes severe itching in the animal. The cat's face and neck are balding, pustules appear, the wool sticks together and rolls down. The cat's activity decreases and body temperature rises. Without proper treatment, the disease moves to the stomach, back and to the base of the tail.
To diagnose folliculitis, you need to do a scraping and biopsy of the skin. For treatment, the hair from the affected areas is sheared, pustules are opened, the skin is treated with ointment. The animal is given antibiotics.
Treatment and prevention
If you find that the cat is balding, what to do first? First you need to pinpoint the cause. Many diseases directly affect the condition of the coat, so you can only help with the right diagnosis.
If the cat begins to lose hair, it should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. The doctor will examine the animal and take all the necessary tests. And after he prescribes a treatment, which must be strictly adhered to.
Judging by the reviews of breeders, animals that eat right are least affected. Natural or ready-made dry food should be properly balanced and contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals. From ready-made feeds, preference should be given to premium and super-premium class species.
Do not forget about the importance of vaccinations that cats are given in childhood, and then repeated every year. Even an animal that has been denied access to the street should be vaccinated, since it can become infected through street clothes or the owner’s shoes. Periodically, the cat needs to be treated for fleas, give her anthelmintic drugs. The animal needs to be well monitored, once a month to look at the hair for the presence of bald patches or wounds.
Thus, it is sometimes difficult to determine why a cat is balding. It is important to contact a specialist in time and pass all the necessary tests. It must be remembered that some diseases can be not only deadly to the animal itself, but also contagious to its owner.