Ask Me Help Desk - Cat hair loss

Our spayed female cat is 7 years old. She has a few patches on her abdomen, one being on her lower abdomen, and the other on one side of her middle abdomen. She has hair loss in these areas, and I am not sure why. The lower one is a large area, and the upper one not quite as large. She has been to the doctor for other things, and I have asked about them. They had the black light out and looked to make sure they weren't ringworm, because we got a purebred Aby a year ago, and she did have ringworm from him (a bad breeder!) on her tail. It looked like someone had shaved it. The other places did not glow like ringworm, so I don't think that is it. And she only goes out once in a while for 10 minutes just with me there, so I use revolution, since fleas can come in on people's shoes, too. She is very sensitive baby, but nothing especially has happened in her life to cause anything like this to happen. She is chubby, and someone joked about her tummy dragging, but that does not explain the other bald patch. And her tummy does not drag, so that is not it, either. Please help.

It may be what she is eating, (not necessarily what you are feeding her). My cat liked to eat plastic, like what you would find on baby pampers. I noticed a couple of years ago that she had some bald patches on her legs and I found some of the plastic in her stool. Once the plastic was gone the hair grew back.

First, Not all ringworm species glow when using a blacklight. Some need to be seen under a microscope or a culture taken. I just went to a Dermotology lecture by a veterinarian specialist and have seen this issue on several of our clients' cats. It is actually most likely a food intolerance/allergy. What is she eatting?

Quote:

Originally Posted by doggie_poopie

First, Not all ringworm species glow when using a blacklight. Some need to be seen under a microscope or a culture taken. I just went to a Dermotology lecture by a veterinarian specialist and have seen this issue on several of our clients' cats. It is actually most likely a food intolerance/allergy. What is she eatting?

She eats Science Diet ID because her tummy is so sensitive. She has always been on Science Diet, ever since she was 6 weeks old. I have heard some good and bad about it, but it is the only food her stomach can tolerate. I have tried MD so she would lose weight, but after a few days her tummy bothered her. I knew something was wrong because she seemed not like her usual self. My husband would laugh, but it almost seemed like she was depressed.
We have an excellent vet we go to, so I will take this in and show him. Maybe he can take a look at a culture of her bare skin.

Take a look at the ingredient list of the I/d. Could your vet possibly order a different brand of intestinal diet. Purina, IVD or Royal Canin?

Quote:

Originally Posted by doggie_poopie

Take a look at the ingredient list of the i/d. Could your vet possibly order a different brand of intestinal diet. Purina, IVD or Royal Canin?

What kind of ingredients can cause some of these symptoms? I know corn is supposed to be bad for them. Don't worry. I won't get angry if you don't have the right answers. A lot of times I just call the vet to ask questions. I always check with them, but you sound like you work at a vet's office.What is IVD? I am not objecting to any other brands if it won't upset her tummy.

Corn is not good. An allergy can build after exposure to the same ingedient like if she has always been on a chicken food, after time the body can build up an intolerance. IVD is just another prescription diet that is available.
Here is some really good information for you...

Your Cat is a Carnivore.

* This means that your cat was built by Mother Nature to get her nutritional needs met by the consumption of other animals, derives very little nutritional benefit from plant-based sources, and ideally should have minimal or no grains in her diet. In her natural environment, your cat would be eating a high-protein, moderate-fat diet with only about four to nine percent of her diet consisting of carbohydrates. Dry foods contain somewhere around 35 to 50 percent carbohydrates. This is most certainly not what Mother Nature intended for our carnivore friends.

Diet is the Brick and Mortar of Health: What You Decide to Feed Your Cat Matters.

* Putting a little thought into your decision on what you feed your furry friend can pay very big dividends over her lifetime and very possibly help her avoid serious, painful, and costly illnesses such as kidney disease, bladder stones, cystitis, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and fatty liver disease.

Learn How to Read a Pet Food Ingredient Label.

* Not all cat foods are created equal and not all proteins are created equal. Always keep in mind that your cat is a carnivore! This means she has a better shot at good health by consuming animal-based proteins (meat) instead of plant-based proteins (grains). Remember that quality meat is the best first ingredient in a food and that meat byproducts and grains supply a less bioavailable form of protein for your cat.

* Don’t just look at the front label on cat food--look at the ingredient list supplied by the manufacturer. If the first ingredient is meat, the label should say so. If the first ingredient is a “byproduct” (unrendered parts of an animal left over after slaughter) remember this can include heads, feet, intestines, feathers, and egg shells. Even worse is a food that lists grain—like corn, corn gluten meal, or rice—as a first ingredient. The main ingredient in a carnivore's diet shouldn't be grain.

* Look for real meat as the first ingredient, but then also pay attention to all the carbohydrate/grain sources in the food. Bear in mind that pet food labels can be deceptive. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, and so manufacturers often split up all of the individual carbohydrate components so that each grain is a lesser weight than the meat product. But if you add up all the grain products in many dry foods, you are left with a large number of grain-based carbohydrates relative to the small amount of actual meat in the food. For more information on understanding labels, visit the FDA’s website on interpreting pet food labels.
www.catnutrition.org