Cat Hair Loss: How To Diagnose and Treat it

Naming the causes for hair loss in cats can be very difficult. It is down to the cats owners to notice the loss of hair on a cat as cats don't often look in the mirror, and if they did they would'nt tell you.  It is typically presented as a sharp increase in shedding, although, some illnesses or parasitic causes can lead to drastic cat hair loss in a very short period of time.

Cat skin conditions are the most common cause of feline hair loss, symptoms can include lots of scratching and frequent licking of the fur. This can also be caused by something the cat has contacted and has an allergic reaction to. Antibiotics for instance or nickel and other metals, even dyes and chemicals in carpets an be the cause of the allergic reaction. If the cat hair loss began shorlty after a new rug or carpet was installed in the home, it could be the culprit.

If the cat hair loss is primarily around the neck or the head and upper body, it could be alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disorder and is not usually accompanied with itching. Typically hair will grow back off its own accord without any medical assistance. The hair loss can also be caused by a bacterial infection, which is often called Folliculitis. This can be cured with a course of antibiotics which will treat the underlying problem and the re-growth of the hair will be sustained. 

Reasons For Cat Hair Loss

Many times hair loss in felines has been put down to the sudden influx of fleas on the cat.  This is usually very easy to spot as the cat will be excessively itching all the time. There are shampoos that you can buy that will treat the infection of fleas, and once these are removed the hair will grow back as normal. A good cat flea allergy treatment that you can buy is HomeoPet Flea Bite. A proper diet is also an integral part as to what health the cats hair is in. If it appears that the hair on the cat is dry and lifeless, or if it apperas the animal has developed a certain allergy to the food, the obvious thing is to cancel this food off the cats diet. If you cannot determine which food is causing the the loss of hair on the cat, a simple process of elimination is required. It is not unusual for animals to develop allergies to foods after consuming them for a long period of time. Your cat may appreciate a change of taste in diet as well as doing this. I have to mention another useful product from homeopet, it's called HomeoPet Skin and Itch Relief. It works by soothing any itchiness or chewing caused by any airborn allergy.

If your cat rarely has access to the outdoors and it suddenly starts to suffer from cat excessive shedding you should have it checked out by a vetererinarian as there could be other health issues at play.

Stop The Cat Itching And Pulling Out Hair

Cats that pull out their own hair can do so because of a number of reasons. A food allergy could be the cause of it, so think about the food your cat is eating, how long have they been eating this type of food? Look back on when the hair loss started and when your cat starting eating the new food, as this could be the reason behind it. The pulling out of the hair may also be down to a behavioral problem, so ask yourself, has anything changed in your pets environment? Has a relative come to visit? Has there been a new pet added to the family? Has the cats routine changed? These are all questions that must be taken into consideration. Or a not so obvious medical issue such ashyperthyroidism could be the cause, this is much more difficult to diagnose as it is deeply rooted and is something that a vet does not always check for. You may want to look at a Proven herbal dog and cat hypothyroidism solution, which works to provide the cats skin with essential nutrients to maintain and regrow hair. It is always good to do some diagnosis yourself and eliminate other possible causes before taking it to the vet.

Stop Cat From Eating It's Hair

Felines also sometimes have a problem of eating their own hair, this is very common for cats when they have gone through a change in their lives, generally it's moving house, new owners, sometimes even different food or the most common, allergies. Get your cat to the dermatologist if you think the cats hair loss is allergy related. When a cat has gone through a change like moving house or having a new owner, the cat can tend to over groom the hair, this over-licking causes the shafts to weaken and the hair to fall out. Fat cats suffer worst from this, because of the inability to reach other areas of the body, concentrating mainly on the belly and hind legs. The problem may also be thyroid related, read below for a section on this and how to treat it. The most important thing for you to do if you cannot pin-point it to a move of house or new owner or something miniscule like that, then get it to the vet and get it checked out.

Is The Cat Hair Loss In A Patch?

When a cat loses hair, it often appears in patches. In this case there is normally red skin and flakiness. This can be hard for the feline to regrow hair as it maybe itchy causing the skin to continually flake and prevent hair growth. To stop this and allow the hair to regrow, a product that soothes the skin is needed. A great product for this is Homeopet HotSpots, it works by soothing the area were the redness, flakiness or ooziness is occurring. It also works really well at supporting the hair regrowth in the areas were the hair loss occured through licking and chewing the hot spot area.

If you can’t think of a thing that’s changed, and your cat passed a detailed physical exam, it’s time to consider food allergies and ask your vet about a food trial. Your cat will eat a novel diet (suggested by your vet) for a few months. Meanwhile, enrich your cat’s environment by providing lots of toys to play with when you’re not home, and participating in interactive play when you are home.

Feline Endocrine Alopecia

Feline Endocrine alopecia is one of the rarest cat skin conditions, and the cause of it is unknown but it is thought to be hormonal. There are different hormones that have been thought to cause feline endocrine alopecia which are, testosterone, estrogen, and the thyroid hormone.

Cats that have feline endocrine alopecia often experience a thinning of the hair, which usually has a similar hair loss distribution on both sides of the body including the flanks, hind legs, and abdomen. The cats hair loss could also be down to over grooming which can be missed by owners. This can be treated with the use of an Elizabethan collar which will prevent the cat from grooming so you can observe whether the cat hair loss is down to over grooming or whether there is another cause, in which case you should take your cat to the vet to have it medically checked over.

Hair Loss Books

Now that your cat has experienced hair loss you may want to know how you can prevent it from happening again or any other disease for that matter. There are several hair loss books that give specialist information as to how to prevent, treat, and deal with disease in cats and other pets. The Cornwell Book Of Cats is a good place to start, as it offers a complete feline medical reference as well as information on cat nutrition, reproduction, genetics, first aid, breeds, anatomy, medical advances, preventive care, and more.

To look at hair loss books for humans click here: Hair Loss Books. If you know anybody that is suffering from any kind of hair loss then you may want to take a look at these books as they offer valuable information. Or if you want to ask questions or discuss anthing related to your cats hair loss then you will definitely want to visit our hair loss forum