Please help - 11 Week old Kitten breaking out in bald patches and rashes

[Catara]

I just got him from the shelter and he did not have any marks, but a day in he develops cat acne on his chin and then a small dot on his nose (First picture). Then above his eye breaks open where there is blood and it looked like someone got a sharp object and sliced him. But, then a day later it becomes a balding sore. Now, three days later he looks like this. He is also itchy and has scratched off hair on his paws and arms, leaving more bald patches. I also suspect he has ears mites and he had tapeworms, but we are deworming him and have him on antibiotics. Vet appointment is in a few days, I am just desperate for any advice or to know what it possibly is. I keep hoping and praying it is not ringworm, and I think it might be a food allergy because he seems to also have large itchy bumps on his body.

 

[CyberTiger]

Hi Catara. I'm sorry to hear what your kitten is going through while you wait for the vet. Do you know if you're feeding him different food than he was eating at the shelter? If you didn't get that info, contact the shelter and pick up the same food if you can. Ask for exact with brand, flavor(s), etc. Dry, wet, whatever they were giving him. Go for exact match if you can.

I'd do an extra thorough clean up the food area before switching foods just to make sure there isn't anything left of the old food as best as possible. Also make sure to keep his dishes clean. If wet food, wash the dish between meals. If dry (with no toppers or anything wet), wash at least once a day. I would wash the water bowl daily, especially for an unwell cat.

If you hand wash, use mild dish soap and the hottest water you can stand. (aka hot enough but not to burn you)

You might also contact the vet and see if they can give you any advice in the meantime.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I agree about a food change that could be posing an allergic reaction - although that would be a pretty fast reaction.

The other thing to consider is some sort of environmental allergy - something to do with your home, cleaning products, perfumes/candles, air purifiers, and the list of possibilities goes on.

The vet may be able to take a tissue swab and see if anything shows up under a microscopic examination.

 

[Catara]

Hi Catara. I'm sorry to hear what your kitten is going through while you wait for the vet. Do you know if you're feeding him different food than he was eating at the shelter? If you didn't get that info, contact the shelter and pick up the same food if you can. Ask for exact with brand, flavor(s), etc. Dry, wet, whatever they were giving him. Go for exact match if you can.

I'd do an extra thorough clean up the food area before switching foods just to make sure there isn't anything left of the old food as best as possible. Also make sure to keep his dishes clean. If wet food, wash the dish between meals. If dry (with no toppers or anything wet), wash at least once a day. I would wash the water bowl daily, especially for an unwell cat.

If you hand wash, use mild dish soap and the hottest water you can stand. (aka hot enough but not to burn you)

You might also contact the vet and see if they can give you any advice in the meantime.

Thank you! He was on an entirely different food and we started giving him wet food, treats, and a better quality dry kitten food. I think we may have overwhelmed him. Thank you for the advice!

 

[nurseangel]

The cats/kittens I've adopted have all had problems with food related changes (mostly stomach problems that eventually cleared). I am anxious to hear what your vet says. I hope your adorable kitty gets well soon.

Welcome to our friendly community and bless you for adopting.

 

[maggie101]

Do you use ceramic or stainless steel bowls? Ceramic is more likely to cause an issue with his chin

 

[ProMeower]

Do you use ceramic or stainless steel bowls? Ceramic is more likely to cause an issue with his chin

I've never heard of this - I thought only plastic was bad. Do you have any articles or papers about this? Our bowls are ceramic and the cats generally don't have problems but I still want to know if there's a better way.

 

[ProMeower]

Hi. I agree about a food change that could be posing an allergic reaction - although that would be a pretty fast reaction.

The other thing to consider is some sort of environmental allergy - something to do with your home, cleaning products, perfumes/candles, air purifiers, and the list of possibilities goes on.

The vet may be able to take a tissue swab and see if anything shows up under a microscopic examination.

If it's environmental, does it make sense to restrict the kitten to a bathroom for a while? No linens, no carpet, no air freshener/perfume since the space is closed off.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If it's environmental, does it make sense to restrict the kitten to a bathroom for a while? No linens, no carpet, no air freshener/perfume since the space is closed off.

You could, I suppose. But the 'culprit' could be on you or your clothes, it could be the litter you are using with him, so you would need to consider all that too. I would probably attack one possible cause at a time - food and then environment - not both at the same time.

As mentioned above, if you can get this kitten back on the food he was eating before, that might go a long way in helping to clear this up. Once cleared up, you can work to find other similar foods if you want to change his diet. Might not be a bad idea to find out what litter he was using before too.

The vet will likely have some ideas, and perhaps your kitten might benefit from an antihistamine or a steroid just to give him some relief while you continue to work to solve the problem permanently.

 

[Catara]

Hi! I thought I would update everyone, evidently the kitten had a horrible flea allergy! I had just gotten him, but he was around tons of other kittens in the shelter and was being mauled by fleas! He is on antibiotics still, flea medications, and flea baths. Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Not great about the fleas, but still good news as once he is rid of them, he should clear up and you both can move on your merry way!!!!! If he is actually allergic to flea bites - as opposed to just an over infestation of fleas, he will have to stay on flea treatments forever. What flea med will you use? Two of them - Advantage II and Frontline are supposed to kill fleas before they bite, but they also are probably less effective than newer brands at least in some parts of the country (US).

 

[Kwik]

Hi! I thought I would update everyone, evidently the kitten had a horrible flea allergy! I had just gotten him, but he was around tons of other kittens in the shelter and was being mauled by fleas! He is on antibiotics still, flea medications, and flea baths. Thank you everyone for your help!

I use Revolution Plus on all my cats since I walk them outside on leads- Florida( lots of sand fleas.
There's pros & cons with any topical parasite control applications so discuss it with your Vet because it is only sold with an Rx...... I like it because it addresses most parasites ......do your due diligence as with everything concern your new ( adorable) babies health & well being

CONGRATS and Welcome to TCS

 

[Antonio65]

Do you use ceramic or stainless steel bowls? Ceramic is more likely to cause an issue with his chin

I always heard that plastic is the worst material for this issue. Steel, ceramic and glass are the best.

 

[maggie101]

I've never heard of this - I thought only plastic was bad. Do you have any articles or papers about this? Our bowls are ceramic and the cats generally don't have problems but I still want to know if there's a better way.

I still use ceramic but wash after every use

What kind of bowl is best for cats?

 

[Kwik]

I still use ceramic but wash after every use

What kind of bowl is best for cats?

I had a cat get a reaction from ceramic ( the glaze)- my Vet says use stainless but only good grade made in USA- many overseas contain lead & other radioactive materials

18/8 304 SERIES GRADE A SS is supposed to be the best

 

[Antonio65]

I had a cat get a reaction from ceramic ( the glaze)- my Vet says use stainless but only good grade made in USA- many overseas contain lead & other radioactive materials

18/8 304 SERIES GRADE A SS is supposed to be the best

I have raised ceramic dishes for my cats.
The outdoor cats have steel dishes. Same for the colony cats.
Glass is certainly the best material, but I didn't find raised dishes made with glass, and glass isn't suitable for the outdoor cats because they could break them.

I don't know about toxic materials in the coating or glazing of the dishes, what I know is that here in Europe no harmful substances are allowed in any item that can come in contact with food. Lead has been long banned from just anything.
Rules are extremely severe and safety checks are frequent, even if imported. I doubt that the ceramic dishes that I use for my cats can be dangerous.

 

[Kwik]

I have raised ceramic dishes for my cats.
The outdoor cats have steel dishes. Same for the colony cats.
Glass is certainly the best material, but I didn't find raised dishes made with glass, and glass isn't suitable for the outdoor cats because they could break them.

I don't know about toxic materials in the coating or glazing of the dishes, what I know is that here in Europe no harmful substances are allowed in any item that can come in contact with food. Lead has been long banned from just anything.
Rules are extremely severe and safety checks are frequent, even if imported. I doubt that the ceramic dishes that I use for my cats can be dangerous.

Did I forget to mention I used ceramic raised dishes? Lol
I used to use SS,apparently not Grade A because they started to pit after many washing...

Well, it's a good thing little kitten is going to be just fine now that they found the problem and Catara can relax and baby can feel all better.....what's baby kittens name? So precious

 

[JKR]

I just got him from the shelter and he did not have any marks, but a day in he develops cat acne on his chin and then a small dot on his nose (First picture). Then above his eye breaks open where there is blood and it looked like someone got a sharp object and sliced him. But, then a day later it becomes a balding sore. Now, three days later he looks like this. He is also itchy and has scratched off hair on his paws and arms, leaving more bald patches. I also suspect he has ears mites and he had tapeworms, but we are deworming him and have him on antibiotics. Vet appointment is in a few days, I am just desperate for any advice or to know what it possibly is. I keep hoping and praying it is not ringworm, and I think it might be a food allergy because he seems to also have large itchy bumps on his body.





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do you have a Woods Lamp? If so, shine it on the wound area and if it glows apple green it is ringworm :-( Hopefully it doesn't glow apple green.

 

[Kwik]

do you have a Woods Lamp? If so, shine it on the wound area and if it glows apple green it is ringworm :-( Hopefully it doesn't glow apple green.

Though the Woods Lamp is an effective tool to determine that a fungal,bacterial or parasitic infection is present,proper training in using this tool is important as it can result in a false negative or misdiagnosis

The Woods Lamp is not a diagnostic test,it is merely a tool in which we use and there's a big difference in one that is battery operated without a good opaque filter,still even the best Lamp must be held between 2-4 cm from the area in question,part the hairs to expose the skin & remove any scabs or crust to be sure to assess properly- one could visualize spores on the fur from contact with an animal who was infected yet you are examining what we refer to as a dust mop,lol

The best thing to do as ALWAYS is to have a Veterinarian examine and take a culture if required to properly diagnose the type of infection so they can be treated effectively.....

I'm not saying the Woods Lamp is not a handy tool to have,it's especially good for intake at shelters with proper training of staff but I am saying that it's very easy for someone to misdiagnose

 

[JKR]

Agree. I'm not advocating that Catara not get an official / proper diagnosis from her Vet. She needs to do so. However, while waiting for the Vet visit and official diagnosis, I prefer to use the Wood Lamp if I suspect ringworm. I'd rather have a false positive with the Woods Lamp and begin quarantining a potential ringworm cat/kitten and taking proactive steps to minimize the spread of ringworm vs. potentially having it spread and done nothing while waiting for the Vet visit. With a 7 to 14 day incubation period, I prefer to be overly cautious when it comes to ringworm. Hope this clarification helps.