Neck Balding Overnight! - Please help.

[doris0485]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping to get an opinion on why my cat started balding in one spot over night. My tabby, sesame, who’s 9months old, started experiencing stomach issues, puking out an large section of an elastic band as well as lethargy and loss of appetite. We took her to the vet and the blood work came back showing signs of bacterial infection in her tummy, and the XRay showed a foreign body as well. We were instructed by the vet to give her Clavamox to resolve the infection and Famotidine to help with vomit. And hope for the foreign body to pass. Two days later (today), I noticed a long rectangular patch around her neck where the head and the body meets. It does not look shaved as the fur looks like it naturally fell off instead of trimmed.

I called the vet and they said it shouldn’t be a concern if there aren’t any rashes or excessive scratching. However, hair loss may be an early sign of other potential issues.

Some other details:
1) Since vet visit, the vomiting has been a lot better. Appetite also increased, Sesame is still very active, but more vocal.
2) No rash or patching on any other areas.
3) Side effects of the two medicines do not have hair loss as an option.
4) Possibly excessive grooming, but no signs of flea dirty.
5) Have not had any extreme changes in diet.
6) Starting to get chin acne like black dots and stuff. But I have been dealing with that with warm towel gently pressing and cleaning the areas.

Please help my cute baby! As a first time encounter with cat fur loss, I’m extremely worried. Sorry for the long post. I greatly appreciate any past experience or possible suggestions!

 

[doris0485]

Also, she’s an indoor cat and she last got dewormed at 8 weeks old, so almost 7months ago! Thank you

 

[fionasmom]

Skin Conditions In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

Did the vet say what other potential issues he/she meant? Is there much scratching or itching? None at all? The pic looks dry and clean, although it may not be, but I don't see a crust or obvious skin irritation. Does she receive flea treatment? I am wondering about food allergy or excessive grooming, but certainly those are not the only possible causes. Did the foreign object pass?

 

[doris0485]

Skin Conditions In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

Did the vet say what other potential issues he/she meant? Is there much scratching or itching? None at all? The pic looks dry and clean, although it may not be, but I don't see a crust or obvious skin irritation. Does she receive flea treatment? I am wondering about food allergy or excessive grooming, but certainly those are not the only possible causes. Did the foreign object pass?

Hi! thank you for your reply and helpful suggestions. No there has not been any scratchy or itching that I know of Here is a clearer picture of the location and the texture of the skin. It doesn’t look irritated at all which makes finding the cause of it very hard. I’m not very sure of the foreign body but considering the increased appetite and normal behavior, I hope it’s gone or in the process of it since I haven’t seen it in her stool!

I’ve read a few articles talking about the many possible indication fur loss may be, Im hoping this may be a result of hormonal over-grooming, or stress/anxiety from the vet visit and the discomfort she felt previously! I will be visiting the vet soon to maybe conduct another test to eliminate the possibility of ringworms or skin infection, however the current state of the patch doesn’t seem to possess any of the symptoms or characteristics that comes with those causes. Thank you

 

[doris0485]

Here’s the pic!

 

[suzeanna]

So this is a weird reply, but I (a human) was on famotidine a couple years ago for a stomach ulcer, and I noticed increased hair loss as a symptom within a couple days. It was very startling! I stopped taking the famotidine after a week or two, but the hair loss continued for a few months (all is back to normal now).

 

[fionasmom]

That is interesting and I do agree that possibly not all side effects are noted or some are too obscure and not documented.

So this is good that she is not miserable and scratching it and that she is returning to normal. I would follow up with the vet on this, especially if the area becomes larger, does not improve, or symptoms change.