Bald patch on arm

beresfordcats

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Hi all, hoping someone here can help. I have noticed a small bald patch on my cat's front leg and am wondering what it might be, and the best course of action.

She is very fair and I thought I had seen a glimpse of the patch in the past, but today was the first time I got a good look and was able to touch it. She did not seem uncomfortable or concerned when I touched it. I can't see any broken skin, but there is a slightly darker mark in the middle of the patch.

I took her to the vets around 3 months ago as she had fleas (the previous treatment we were using stopped working for her), and they gave me a new treatment. She has reacted very well to it and has stopped scratching, and the house seems to be clear of fleas. I was wondering if this patch could be flea related? The treatment said it could take 3-4 monthly applications to be effective.

I've attached a picture. I don't want to head straight to the vets if it's unnecessary, but will do if she needs treatment!
 

Kieka

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It could be an insect bite, reaction to a plant, fungus (like ringworm), allergic reaction to something, or an infection forming from something else. With the darker spot I am leaning towards a bite (but that is also where my head is from personal experience) but if it is not bleeding and there is no puss/moisture it could just as easily be a reaction to the new flea treatment. While a number of the causes could resolve themselves given time or home treatment, some can persist for a long time or get worse without treatment. Also, without knowing the cause it is difficult to take steps to prevent it from happening again. Your vet can tell you what it is most likely and prescribe treatment that is appropriate. 

My personal experience that is similar, I recently (as in within the last week) had a smaller bald spot on my cat that turned out to be a spider bite (most likely). Like in your case he didn't and still doesn't react to us touching it or show signs of discomfort. The spot on my boy was only the size of a pencil eraser but when the vet shaved the area it grew in size and she ended up taking off dead skin where the fur had not fallen off yet almost tripling the size of it; so it was larger than we thought. There was no bleeding or puss and the only time it slightly leaked any fluid was when the vet cleaned the area. My vet gave me a topical antibiotic treatment that will prevent it from getting infected as it heals and speed up the healing process. But, a spider bite can turn pretty nasty and spread without treatment. 

Her spot looks redder and more inflamed then the one on my boy, although that could be because she has lighter skin color and he is naturally a beige/tan color skin. I would take her in to make sure it isn't something serious and make sure it doesn't get larger or become more serious. 
 
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cat-tech

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That looks like a very raw abrasion from some type of wound or reaction to something.  But, photos can be deceiving, I'd have your vet look at it to play it safe.

If she's had these problems before, it could be flea allergy dermatitis, or, eosinophilic granuloma complex, best to have your vet check.
 
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