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The Mysterious Balding Kitten...

post #1 of 8
4/30/09 at 4:39pm
Thread Starter 




When she was born she had a full beautiful black coat with the potential to be long haired-- and now, over the passed few days has been reduced to this. We're looking into ringworm, hoping to get some medicine for it soon but what else could cause this? None of the other kittens are loosing their fur, the mother has no loss of fur, but has an eye cold that she has passed to the kittens. She was suspected to have Coccidia but was treated before the kittens were born.
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post #2 of 8
4/30/09 at 4:58pm
It's hard to tell from the pictures whether there are any redden areas. But honestly, that does not look like ringworm. It would be more patchy. Mange mite is one possibility, but again the skin doesn't look that bad.

My thoughts are that it has to be immune related some how, maybe even autoimmune. But in one so young where the immune system would not be strong yet that makes little sense either.

Have skin scrapings done and some blood work. Don't self treat this, especially since ringworm medications could be deadly to one so young.
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post #3 of 8
4/30/09 at 5:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
It's hard to tell from the pictures whether there are any redden areas. But honestly, that does not look like ringworm. It would be more patchy. Mange mite is one possibility, but again the skin doesn't look that bad.

My thoughts are that it has to be immune related some how, maybe even autoimmune. But in one so young where the immune system would not be strong yet that makes little sense either.

Have skin scrapings done and some blood work. Don't self treat this, especially since ringworm medications could be deadly to one so young.

The only time I saw hair loss like that was with an auto-immune disease but that was with an adult cat. This one would be too young to acquire something like that.

In a kitten this young, you really need a vet's advice. They are so sensitive to any medications at that age.
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post #4 of 8
4/30/09 at 5:06pm
My immediate thought was "kitty alopecia areata", but again that makes little sense.

Here is a page with causes for hair loss. Interestingly there is one on there that causes kittens to lose hair. Maybe it will just end up being a bald healthy kitten - a vet will have to determine this.
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post #5 of 8
4/30/09 at 5:19pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks. I'm going to talk to my boyfriend's mother again and try and convince her.

I don't think its ringworm either. Its been progressively getting worse since we got back from vacation on Saturday, a little every day. She's still eating and "playing" (as much as a two week old kitten does).

I'm interested in Congenital hypotrichosis... but I only got a year into pre-vet school. :-P
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post #6 of 8
5/4/09 at 7:35am
Thread Starter 
When we rounded up the cats for the spay/neuter clinic this morning I brought Yoda, the balding kitten (and mommy and siblings) with us. After we got everyone checked in we asked the veterinarian on staff to check her out. After looking her over, feeling her kidneys, listening to her heart and chest he's totally stumped. So, he's going to look some things up tonight after the clinic and talk to some other vets and give us a call.

*crosses fingers*
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post #7 of 8
5/4/09 at 8:29am
Sounds like you have the vet as curious as you are! Did the kitten get a clean bill of health? And if this kitten survives fine, are there any plans on a home for it? If it stays bald it would probably be best to treat it like one would a sphynx to avoid sunburns, injuries, and it getting too cold.
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post #8 of 8
5/4/09 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
She'll go up for adoption with her siblings if all goes well. She has developed dry skin over the past two days so I'm going to ask the vet what I can do about that tonite, but I don't think much as mom will likely lick off anything i put on her.
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