Sudden loss of hair in eyebrow area.

[Graciella]

We just had our 6 month old male neutered yesterday by an at home vet. He woke up fine, felt good enough yesterday to feel playful, has been eating and using the litterbox as normal. This morning he acted completely normal too, like he didn’t even know anything happened to him. But then I was out for a few hours this afternoon and when I came home I noticed that he now has a fairly significant bald spot above one eye and noticeable hair loss above the other eye. My husband was home and didn’t see anything unusual happen.

The skin isn’t broken, or red, or tender. I rubbed across it with my thumb and it didn’t hurt him. It’s not rough or flaky. He’s not fevered and feels fine.

Has anyone ever heard of this happening after a surgery? Maybe a reaction to the anaesthetic or painkiller?

He looks kind of sad and pathetic in the photo, but he’s really not at all. It’s hard to get a photo of him because he’s always on the move.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I have never heard of that being a reaction to anesthesia or pain killers, but you know most anything is possible in some cats.

You could call the vet and ask if they have ever experienced anything like that before. Otherwise, just monitor it to make sure it doesn't get any worse. If it is related to the medicines for his surgery, then it should stop as quickly as it started, although the hair could take a while to grow back in completely.

 

[Graciella]

Thanks for your reply. Have you heard of any other cause for a sudden alopecia spot like that on a cat? The only other time I’ve seen it was a cat who lost hair was on his neck from scratching at fleas, and it wasn’t bald like this.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Stress is often the cause of hair loss, but if he doesn't appear stressed, it may not be that. I have also heard that thinning in that area is common as a cat starts to move away from kittenhood, seen a lot in dark haired cats with short hair.

I would really call the vet and see if this could be an allergic reaction to the anesthesia or pain meds - it isn't out of the realm of possibility. You could also do an internet search on whatever meds he took and see if hair loss shows up as a potential side effect.

 

[Graciella]

I contacted the vet, he said that he’d never heard of it before but would check and get back to me, which he did. It turned out that it was indeed reaction to either the anaesthetic or the stuff he put in his eyes. He said that it would come back in 1 to 3 months. Within a couple of weeks it was filled in and you had to look hard to notice it.

He did great otherwise, he didn’t even appear to notice that anything was done to him. I can’t say that he’s settled down much though.

Sorry I took so long to respond, Christmas season and an unwell husband, but life does go on.

 

[fionasmom]

Thank you for letting us know that there was a good outcome!

 

[stephanietx]

If they used some kind of tape to hold tubes down, it could've come off when the tape was peeled off.

 

[Graciella]

If they used some kind of tape to hold tubes down, it could've come off when the tape was peeled off.

No, the procedure was very basic, a shot of ketamine and painkiller, he went to sleep. It took 10 minutes start to finish. I even got to assist. He woke up at home and had no idea anything was done, it was hard to keep him from his usual romping around. If it had been at a hospital, he would have been stuck in a metal cage all day, frightened and stressed.