Hair loss on a 5 month old kitten

3catsforme

3catsforme

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HI - sorry for the long post but I want to try and explain this issue in detail.

 

I recently got a 5 mo. Old kitten from a local farm. I quarantined until she was cleared by the vet (shots etc.).  She had worms and a bad case of ear mites but after  2 ½ weeks of treatment she was cleared by the vet.  She has been out and about with my other 2 cats for about  a week and ½.  Saturday I noticed a small patch of hair missing on the front of her neck.  I thought maybe she got in a scuff with one of the other cats. Well by Sunday afternoon ½ the hair on her neck was gone, she had scab like areas on the neck and was scratching like crazy.  She is not her usually playful self but is eating and drinking.  I took her to the vet on Monday – he told me it could be mites or a bacterial infection on her skin.  He treated her with a lime based “dip”  that tinted her orange and smell like rotten eggs. He also gave me antibiotics to give her every 12 hours.

 

Well this morning she now has fur missing on her chest and between her front legs.

She has to go back for another “dip” next week. The vet said if it doesn’t clear up after the 2nd treatment then we need to biopsy to see if it cancer.  He also said she could have an autoimmune issue.

 

Has anyone had a cat or kitten with these symptoms?  I feel just awful for her & am quite worried. She is back in quarantine and I am keeping an eye on my other cats for any symptoms.  I have a cat that is on steroids  daily to treat IBS.  All are getting grain free hard food (EVO) and kitten is also getting grain free soft food 2 times a day.

 

Thank you,

 

Jan and Peanut

 
just mike

just mike

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My first reaction to this is Demodicosis.  It could be many other things as well.  Keep working with your vet to see what happens.  I hope you find a resolution to all the itching and scratching quickly
Here is a link with a brief intro on cat mange http://www.petsandparasites.org/cat-owners/mange.html You might want to check it out and if sounds like you cat might have it, talk to your vet.  Sending vibes
 
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3catsforme

3catsforme

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Thank you everyone! 
  She is acting more like herself today but the bare skin now looks cracked. I am assuming the dip dried it out.  The Vet Tech said I could apply neosporin to it to help keep it moist.
 
momofmany

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I have a cat who suffered from hair loss for about 8 years - never had scabs from it nor was he ever in discomfort. We tested for a lot of common allergies and they never turned up anything. A week after our dog died, his hair started growing back and he hasn't lost any since. All that time he had been allergic to one of our dogs. He lived with 5 dogs during that time and none of them bothered him, nor the 3 dogs that we've adopted after those 5 crossed. The vet explained that allergies are a form of an auto-immune disease, so don't let that necessarily scare you.

Did your vet explain what the dip was all about? It almost sounds like he is doing it because he suspects mange, which is rare in cats but does occur. Dogs more often get mange and the dip they use to treat it does smell bad. It does require at least 2 dips to get rid of it, which also leads me to believe that is what the vet is treating for. I googled the topic (mange in cats) and there is a lot of information on the topic (including pictures which I won't share).
 
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