Your cat's ears are going bald: causes of baldness and treatment options

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06/29/2021 owner reviews 2,

If your cat has a bald spot on her head or is losing hair around her ears, it may be time to take a closer look. There are several causes of hair loss in cats, also known as alopecia. It can be inherited or acquired.

• Hereditary hair loss
• Acquired hair loss
• Ear mites
• Fleas
• Ringworm
• Scabies
• Food allergies
• Chronic stress
• Alopecia areata
• Atopy
• Facial baldness
• Sebaceous adenitis
• Solar dermatitis

Acquired hair loss

Acquired baldness is usually a symptom of other conditions that cause itching. Sick cats will scratch, chew, lick or rub the itchy areas until the fur is literally rubbed off. If hereditary factors are ruled out, there are many other possible causes, and some of them are contagious. Just keep in mind that the information presented here is not intended to replace a professional diagnosis from your veterinarian.

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How to treat alopecia in cats

The nature of the treatment depends on the cause that provoked the appearance of local bald patches. If the disease is allergic, it is necessary to isolate the animal from exposure to allergens. “The veterinarian should prescribe immunostimulants and antiallergic drugs to the cat.” In addition, the animal must adhere to a special hypoallergenic diet.

If alopecia is caused by parasites, the animal is recommended to use special sprays, gels, and ointments that have antiparasitic properties. In addition, the cat should additionally take vitamin complexes to stimulate immune function.

Abscess and pyoderma, which also provoke alopecia, are treated by treating the skin with systemic and external antibiotics, as well as antiseptics.

Taking hormonal medications is indicated for endocrine alopecia, but if the disease is of a psychogenic nature, the cat is prescribed sedatives.

Ear mites

Ear mites, scientifically known as Otodectes cynotes, can cause severe itching and cause hair loss on cats' ears and head. These mites are easily transmitted to other cats and are sometimes even transmitted to humans, although they cannot survive on humans.

Signs of an ear mite infestation include:

• Rubbing your head
• Trembling in the ears
• Scratches
• Redness
• Hair loss
• Brown waxy growths in the ears
• Unpleasant smell

Ear mites are easily diagnosed using an otoscope. Treatment usually involves thoroughly but gently cleaning the ears and applying veterinarian-recommended medications directly into the canals. It is usually necessary to repeat the treatment for seven to ten days to kill any new hatchlings.

Prevention

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To prevent a cat from developing a bald spot on its head, there are a number of preventive measures. The pet is periodically examined, regularly given prophylaxis against worms, and a balanced diet is selected. The animal is promptly vaccinated against diseases. Your pet should not be walked near places where stray cats accumulate.

Attention! Long-haired cats need to be brushed frequently. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the fur of all cat species.

Diet

You need to put your cat on a diet diet. Do not feed your animal dry food, as industrial food contains a large amount of preservatives and artificial flavors.

It is recommended to feed your pet boiled dietary meat - veal, rabbit, turkey. You can add seasonal vegetables and fruits to your diet.

If a pregnant cat has a bald spot on her ear, the reason is a lack of vitamins, which she does not receive from food. Such pets need special nutrition rich in nutrients.

Important! It is forbidden to feed the cat sweets, smoked meats, and salty foods. Such products are strong allergens.

Protect from stress

A nervous situation in the house, the appearance of children or other animals - all these factors adversely affect the cat’s psyche and can cause bald spots in a cat.

If a cat reacts painfully to changes in his life schedule, the arrival of guests, or a change of environment, you need to try to protect him from stress. You can treat your pet’s nerve pain with sedatives, which should be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Regular inspection

To detect baldness at an early stage and prevent further hair loss, you need to constantly examine your pet. Once every six months the cat is taken to a veterinarian for examination. They take tests and conduct an external examination. If signs of illness or bald patches appear on the animal, treatment is carried out.

Abrasions and scratches that your pet received in the game must be treated with a disinfectant solution.

Examining your cat at a veterinary clinic will help identify the disease in time.

Regular visits to the veterinary clinic, proper nutrition, and grooming are the conditions under which the animal will be healthy. This is why you need to pay attention to the cat. And if a cat’s ears become bald, he is urgently taken to a doctor for examination.

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Fleas

The saliva left behind after a cat is bitten by a flea causes an itchy reaction that makes cats itch like crazy. While hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, the hair on a cat's head, face, and ears are especially vulnerable to hair loss when cats rub against furniture and rugs in an attempt to find some relief. Fleas can be easily identified by their physical presence or by the small droppings they leave behind in your cat's fur. Infestations can be treated with a number of insecticidal products, including sprays, shampoos and spot treatments such as Frontline for cats.

Causes of itching

So why does a cat itch? The following describes all the possible causes that provoke “pruritus.”

Violation of the protective properties of the skin:

Skin and subcutaneous mites

These include parasitic pathologies such as sarcoptic mange, notoedrosis, cheyletiellosis, otodectosis and (very rarely) demodicosis.

• What becomes noticeable: the cat itches until it bleeds, hair falls out all over the body, crusts appear on the skin, peeling, and dandruff in various places, depending on the problem.
• Otodectosis. The cat's ears generally itch, the head, muzzle, and back of the head itch. Black, smear-like deposits appear in the ears.
• Sarcoptic mange. The neck itches until crusts and wounds appear, the itching is unbearable. Over time, itching develops along the spine, hair falls out in the area of ​​the tail root, and crusts of dried ichor also appear (the owners call such scratches scabs). Another name for the disease is pruritic scabies.
• Notoedrosis. Itching is mainly localized in the head area - muzzle, brow ridges, and back of the head. The cat itches until it bleeds. The skin on the head thickens, becomes rough, and pronounced folding appears (a symptom called “lion’s head”).
• Cheyletiellosis. This disease is caused by small skin mites. The two main signs are that the cat itches all the time, and a lot of scratching and “live” gray dandruff appear in the area of ​​the back and the root of the tail (the parasites themselves are often mistaken for dandruff, and if you look closely, you can see their movements). This disease is popularly called wandering scabies, because symptoms may “move” throughout the body.

Cutaneous blood-sucking parasites

This category of parasitic diseases includes lice, fleas (aphanipterosis) and lice-eaters. In 90% of cases, itching in cats is caused by fleas or their saliva.

• What becomes noticeable: the cat itches a lot (often suddenly attacks itself directly, biting into the skin) and constantly licks itself. In areas of constant licking, bald patches form due to hair loss and breaking off. The insects themselves, their white-transparent eggs, and flea “nests” (clusters of black dots in one place that blur red on wet paper) are discovered. There may be a red rash from the bites.

Allergy

An individual inflammatory reaction in cats can occur to anything: food, medications, care and hygiene products, saliva of blood-sucking insects (flea dermatitis - when there are no fleas, but there is a reaction with itching), dust.

• What becomes noticeable: an undesirable reaction to food is manifested by itching in the head, abdomen and groin area. Contact allergic reactions appear in places where the allergen comes into direct contact with the body (for example, on the stomach and paws after sleeping on a bedding that is poorly rinsed after washing with powder). Flea dermatitis is marked by itching and self-induced alopecia in the back, closer to the root of the tail and the outer surface of the thighs. In a dusty room, cats rub their eyes, eyebrows and nose, sneezing and severe salivation appear.

Bacterial, fungal infections

In most cases, bacteria and fungi join the primary pathology.

• What becomes noticeable: if bacteria have joined, itchy, weeping ulcers and eczema are formed, which the cat endlessly licks, right up to open wounds. With the development of dermatophytosis, itching is accompanied by foci of baldness, peeling, and a limited compacted border around the site of the lesion (often observed with ringworm), i.e. The cat is going bald and itchy. The affected areas can be either individual foci or in the form of a generalized lesion, when a large surface of the body is affected.

Dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin that accompanies almost any injury. This includes parasitic lesions, allergic, neurological, etc. It is more considered a symptom or terminological statement of itching than an independent pathology.

• What owners see: itching is always accompanied by signs of a local inflammatory reaction: redness, swelling, swelling, and sometimes peeling. In special cases where the cat scratches frequently, the temperature of the itchy area may increase.

Increased dry skin

Xerosis or dry seborrhea

With a lack of vitamins A and E in the diet, as well as with the wrong selection of hygiene products for bathing, the skin dries out, cracks and itches badly.

• How it manifests itself: at the very beginning of the development of the pathology, nothing is visible at all - there is only itching. Mostly, the cat itches its back and sides in the area of ​​the ribs, and may gnaw on its paws and joints. This is explained by increased skin tension in areas where skeletal bones protrude. Over time, dandruff appears, and it becomes noticeable that the skin is dry and cracking. Cracks can be almost invisible to the naked eye, or they can develop into large wounds. The wool does not fall out or falls out slightly, but becomes dull, loses its shine and elasticity.

Autoimmune pathologies

They belong to a special category of allergic reactions, when the body begins to perceive its cells and tissues as foreign.

Discoid lupus erythematosus

What owners see: Less common than in dogs. It can occur in any part of the body in the form of suddenly formed wounds. Conventional antimicrobial and wound healing therapy without glucocorticoids is ineffective.

Pemphigus foliaceus

The main localization of itching is in the muzzle, in particular the back of the nose and upper lips. Redness, swelling, ulcerations from itching, and crusts from ichor occur.

Jacobs ulcer

Found only in cats. The disease is similar to herpes on the lips in humans. Initially, spots form on the upper lips, which increase in size and form extensive ulcers. The condition is always accompanied by severe itching. The ulcers develop into extensive eczema, even to the point where the gums and teeth become exposed. Conventional wound healing therapy has no effect.

Reactions that occur after taking medications

What owners notice: itching occurs anywhere and immediately after taking any medication. It may also itch at the injection sites due to the irritating effect of the medication. An itchy rash called hives may appear. The condition is bad because owners do not always associate itching with taking medications.

Neurogenic causes

Neurodermatitis

Similar to atopic dermatitis, but is hereditary. Diagnosis of exclusion.

What you can see: The domestic cat suffers from severe itching in the ears, head and neck. Often the belly and inner thighs, front legs and shoulder blade area are added, transitioning to the back. In advanced conditions, extensive ulcers form. Often a cat simply chews off its paws.

Tumors

What becomes noticeable: in some places of the body various neoplasms appear, which seem to attract the attention of the animal and may be accompanied by itching. In cats, tumors most often form in the mammary glands.

Pathologies of internal organs and systems

Problems with the anal glands

It’s rare, but it happens that a cat’s glands, which are located near the anus, become clogged. This is usually observed from improper feeding, when the secretion thickens and cannot be released naturally.

What becomes noticeable: the cat’s tail itches closer to its base and constantly licks its anus. From time to time the animal rides on its butt. In most cases, owners think that these are worms, but in fact the anal glands are clogged.

Helminths

What the owners can see: in addition to obvious helminths, there is severe itching in the anus. Also, a cat can ride on its butt, similar to problems in the area of ​​the perianal glands. The diagnosis is made by exclusion - first worms, then pathologies with the glands.

For pathologies of the endocrine system, kidneys and liver

in the blood, indicators of substances that characterize the functioning of a particular organ increase (glucose levels, bile acids, nitrogen, urea, creatinine, etc.). When their levels increase critically, skin receptors are irritated from the inside, causing the cat to itch until it hurts.

What is noticeable to the owners: the cat itches and hair falls out all over its body. If, for example, there are diseases of the genital area, then the cat may lick the perineum. In diabetes mellitus, itching is accompanied by increased dryness of the skin and a significant deterioration in the condition of the coat.

Ear problems

Otitis

How it manifests itself: the itching is localized in the ears and neck, the head itches. In addition to the fact that the cat’s ears itch, various discharges are noted inside the ear canal - from serous to purulent and black, plasticine-like, if otitis media is caused by ear mites. The cat shakes its head almost constantly.

Marginal seborrhea of ​​the ears

A disease that affects only the tips of the ears. It is not dangerous for the life of the cat, but it creates visual discomfort for the owners, because The ears look ugly and sloppy. When bacteria attach, these places can become inflamed and rot.

What can be seen: the edges of the ears itch, the cat constantly scratches them, the tips of the ears acquire a ragged edge, peeling appears and the ichor dries out, the skin in these places can thicken.

Psychogenic factors (fears, stress, fears)

Cats are stress-unresistant animals, so any deviation from their psychological comfort can be accompanied by psychogenic itching.

Behavioral obsessive-compulsive disorder (OBCD or OCRD)

It is registered very, very rarely and is a diagnosis of exclusion. When a cat is stressed or bored, the habit of scratching and gnawing appears. A certain psychological dependence on the process itself arises. Most often, the tail itches - it also gets chewed off over time.

Hormonal disorders

Itching due to hormonal changes is recorded extremely rarely (almost never). But there are recorded cases, so this reason cannot be ignored.

What attracts attention: the cat almost constantly licks the perineum, groin and sides, where the ovaries are approximately located.

Ringworm

Contrary to its name, ringworm is not a worm. It is actually an itchy fungal infection that lives in the hair follicles and feeds on dead cells. When the fungus colonizes the hair shafts, the hair shafts break off at skin level and leave bald patches. Sometimes hard spots form around the ears and other affected areas. Ringworm is highly contagious and can be diagnosed by culturing the hair for the fungus. There are a number of possible treatments to eliminate the infection.

This includes:

• Application of a course of lime-sulfur drops
• Prescribing griseofulvin tablets on the recommendation of a veterinarian
• Applying a topical ointment such as itraconazole.
• Repeated antifungal shampoos
• Completely shave the entire cat

Routes of infection

The causative agent of microsporia enters the body when a healthy person comes into contact with a carrier of the disease. An alternative way is to interact with objects covered with fungal spores. Ringworm is most often detected in children aged 5-10 years; in boys, microsporia is diagnosed five times more often than in girls. The pathology almost does not affect adults due to the presence of organic acids in their hair structure, which suppress the growth of fungal mycelium.

The reasons for the development of ringworm are microtraumas of the skin and its dryness. Spores get into cracks, scratches or open calluses. Healthy skin becomes an insurmountable barrier to fungus. The pathogen does not survive contact with personal hygiene products - thorough hand washing after contact with spore carriers eliminates the possibility of infection.

The risk group includes people who regularly come into contact with the ground and wild animals. The active growth of the fungus is facilitated by disturbances in the functioning of the sebaceous glands due to changes in the chemical composition of their secretions. Microsporum spores can remain viable for three months when left in open ground.

Scabies

Scabies is another type of mite infestation that causes severe itching, especially around the face, ears, and neck. The skin in the affected areas experiences significant hair loss, and the skin usually begins to develop a grayish-yellow crust, similar to severe eczema.

Feline mange is divided into two types: notohedral and demodectic . Either type is diagnosed by taking a skin scraping from the affected area and examining it under magnification for the presence of mites. To treat mange, you need to trim off the long fur and apply a layer of lime sulfur once a week until subsequent skin scrapings show that the mites are gone. Treatments can be repeated six to eight times to cure the infestation.

Baldness treatment

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If the owner notices that the cat's ears are peeling, the pet is immediately taken to the doctor.

The veterinarian performs a number of manipulations:

• Examines the cat for parasites.
• Takes a skin scraping to determine a skin infection.
• Performs a blood test to detect inflammation in the pet's body.
• Conducts an analysis of the animal's hormonal levels.
• Additional studies may be performed to clarify the diagnosis.

Based on the examination results, the doctor prescribes home treatment and advises the owner on the cat’s nutritional issues.

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Food allergies

Food allergies can also cause severe itching and bald patches on the ears. Sick cats quickly begin to lose hair, and chronic ear infections make the problem worse. Diagnosing a food allergy requires a series of food tests in which your veterinarian will prescribe a restricted diet that will slowly introduce foods one at a time until an allergic reaction to a specific food is noted.

Sometimes more than one food is involved in the reaction, but all problematic foods are eliminated from your cat's diet permanently. Once the harmful substances are out of your cat's body, the sores will heal and the fur will tend to grow back, although it may be slightly different in color and texture from the original fur.

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Diagnostic methods

If your cat's ears are going bald, there is brown discharge from the ears and redness of the skin, then you should contact a veterinarian for help. The specialist will examine the area with lost hair and become familiar with the symptoms that are bothering the pet. If it is not possible to visually determine the cause and severity of the disease due to which the bald spot appeared, then additional diagnostic procedures are prescribed. To make a diagnosis, the following manipulations may be required:

• laboratory testing of blood and urine;
• bacterial culture of urine;
• scraping from the damaged area with further microscopy;
• ultrasound diagnostics of internal organs if there is a suspicion of a violation of their function;
• allergic reaction test.

Chronic stress

Perhaps a less obvious reason why a cat's ears go bald is that chronic stress does play a role in hair loss. Cats self-soothe by grooming themselves, and the more stressed they are, the more they groom themselves. Constant licking and washing of the paws will eventually wear down the fur, especially in areas with very short fur such as the head and ears. This particular condition is known as psychogenic alopecia.

To manage stress in cats, you need to pinpoint the things that are causing your anxiety and remove them from your cat's environment as much as possible. Some cats also respond to healthy stimulation, such as a cat tree to exercise on. This will relieve the cat from boredom and give the cat the opportunity to focus on something other than itself.

Preventive measures

Prevention of the described disease comes down to the following actions:

• active leisure and healthy lifestyle;
• strengthening the immune system and proper fortified nutrition;
• eliminating bad habits;
• Carrying out regular care of the nasal cavity with solutions based on sea salt;
• timely treatment of viral and bacterial infections;
• use of respiratory protection equipment in hazardous industries;
• regular cleaning and maintaining optimal temperature and humidity in the room.

Atrophic rhinitis is a serious disease of the nasal cavity, which is fraught with serious consequences: bleeding, perforations, various distortions of the nose and face. It is impossible to recover from this disease on your own. Qualified therapy for the disease is lengthy and not always successful. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, do not delay treatment and get examined by an otolaryngologist to avoid complications.

What can cats take for itching?

Giving anything against itching without a specialist’s prescription is prohibited! Itching is a symptomatic manifestation of the problem, not the problem itself. If it is eliminated without eliminating the provoking pathology, the disease will progress and worsen the general condition of the cat.

Treatment for itching is:

• etiotropic (elimination of the immediate cause, treatment of the underlying disease),
• symptomatic (prescription of direct drugs for itching).

What to treat is determined exclusively by a specialist. Below is a list of drugs that can give a noticeable antipruritic effect if used correctly, taking into account the main provoking cause (the information is for informational purposes only and is not a direct guide to action without consulting a veterinarian):

• Antihistamines containing cetirizine, hydroxyzine, diphehydramine or chlorpheniramine (Atarax, Zodak, Cetrin, Diphenhydramine, Clemastine, Chlorphenamine, etc.).
• Atopica (a drug containing cyclosporine).
• Glucocorticosteroids (Dexa-kel, Stop-itching, Dexa-fort, Polcortolon, Kenalog).
• Pentoxifylline.
• Psychotropic drugs (Pregabalin, Gabapentin).
• Omega-3,6 fatty acids.

Some of the listed drugs are human, but are used strictly in veterinary dosages!