Anyone experience loss of fur etc?

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Lori Gach-Delaney

Lori Gach-Delaney

Member Since 2017
Marley has a spot on his back where it looks like the fur is going away...the skin looks quite red. :(
Anyone have anything like this happen?
Thanks!
 
This is what it looks like
 

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Lori Gach-Delaney said:
Marley has a spot on his back where it looks like the fur is going away...the skin looks quite red. :(
Anyone have anything like this happen?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Is this near the insulin injection site? Is it itchy and does he try to lick it (food allergy?)? You might need the vet's opinion.
 
Could be allergies. My diabetic Badger has a area/streak of thinned fur on the back, just right of centerline. It seems to disappear in the winter and comes back in summer. Over the past two years it has not gotten that bad in the summer. Now there is just a little thinning, before it was almost down to bare skin.
 
Ok so honestly I totally forgot to get coconut oil or hydrocortisone. It's now two weeks later and it looks worse. (I'll post another photo later). All I had in house was neosporin so I put some of that on last night. He's not licking it or trying to get at it. I Have to be very gentle when I try to get a good look at it though because when I touch the area it does seem to bother him. I'll pick up either both or one tonight at the pharmacy. How do I apply the oil? Does anyone know?
 
I can't get him into the vet now until Saturday and he gets so incredibly stressed out (vomiting/peeing) that I hate to bring him.
The vet said she does see that loss of fur inbetween the shoulder blades on diabetic cats sometimes.
I've been up since 4am because I can't sleep because I'm feeling so bad because it just looks awful/scary.
 
Do you mean Saturday Christmas Eve? That's still a long way off. I know you don't need the guilt but if "it just looks awful/scary" you don't need this to make Christmas miserable. And after Saturday will mean an emergency clinic and $$$. I feel for you, Noah is more than nervous travel wise. Do what you have to do.
If you have no other option takes photos every day and show the vet. Do you know how to check his body temperature?
 
Noah & me said:
Do you mean Saturday Christmas Eve? That's still a long way off. I know you don't need the guilt but if "it just looks awful/scary" you don't need this to make Christmas miserable. And after Saturday will mean an emergency clinic and $$$. I feel for you, Noah is more than nervous travel wise. Do what you have to do.
If you have no other option takes photos every day and show the vet. Do you know how to check his body temperature?
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Saturday is not Christmas Eve though. I'm an atheist anyway so he comes first before anything else. :)
I bought coconut oil today and plan on using that starting tonight.
I also bought hydrocortisone cream which is what the vet suggested but I know that might up his glucose. So I'm starting with the coconut oil.
We also are upping him to 4 units twice a day starting tonight.
I was able to get an appt for Saturday afternoon. I'm hoping by then we might see some improvement by using the coconut oil on it.
I don't know how to check his body temperature... :(
 

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I'm looking at the wrong calendar, probably my Agnostic Calendar of Cats. You just can't say that out loud.:blackeye:
If I was nasty before, it's been a long month. Let's start again.
If the hydrocortisone cream is what the vet recommends stick with that. Marley looks like a shorthair in your avatar but in the close-ups I see a lot of hair. Is it possible for you to carefully trim some of that back for airflow? I use kitchen cut-a-chicken-in-half scissors for our long hairs but they're pointy and very sharp. I'm just winging it now. Can you dab the area with hydrogen peroxide? I was told by the doctor who put all the screws and rods in my arm that hydrogen peroxide can do nasty things if you use too much. I think what he meant was the skin drying out, then shrinking and making the wound even worse. Maybe warm water would be better. This is because my advice would be to work that cream in fairly far. The second picture looks awful, there's no discharge? I can't go any farther than that and not because I'm a coward who doesn't want to make things worse or get involved. The world has enough of those. The temperature is to check for a fever. A thermometer and some Vaseline and away you go. I've had some demented cats that enjoyed it a little too much.
Your first post was November 28th, I'm a bit surprised you didn't get more replies. This is the best I can offer.
I don't know if this will give you a little boost but here goes. I dislike Christmas because that's when everything goes wrong and it usually means spend spend spend, often on a cat or a dog. In this house it's not just cats and dogs, it's moms, dads, everything! I have no idea what your situation is so I won't state the obvious anymore.
One thing you could try is starting a new thread with the photos and summarize what you know so far. It's kind of frowned upon but screw that. If you do please delete what I just said. I'm the guy that sometimes shoots his mouth off before thinking, I'm working on that.
My name is Dickson, the cat is Noah, we're far away in Canada.
 
Noah & me said:
I'm looking at the wrong calendar, probably my Agnostic Calendar of Cats. You just can't say that out loud.:blackeye:
If I was nasty before, it's been a long month. Let's start again.
If the hydrocortisone cream is what the vet recommends stick with that. Marley looks like a shorthair in your avatar but in the close-ups I see a lot of hair. Is it possible for you to carefully trim some of that back for airflow? I use kitchen cut-a-chicken-in-half scissors for our long hairs but they're pointy and very sharp. I'm just winging it now. Can you dab the area with hydrogen peroxide? I was told by the doctor who put all the screws and rods in my arm that hydrogen peroxide can do nasty things if you use too much. I think what he meant was the skin drying out, then shrinking and making the wound even worse. Maybe warm water would be better. This is because my advice would be to work that cream in fairly far. The second picture looks awful, there's no discharge? I can't go any farther than that and not because I'm a coward who doesn't want to make things worse or get involved. The world has enough of those. The temperature is to check for a fever. A thermometer and some Vaseline and away you go. I've had some demented cats that enjoyed it a little too much.
Your first post was November 28th, I'm a bit surprised you didn't get more replies. This is the best I can offer.
I don't know if this will give you a little boost but here goes. I dislike Christmas because that's when everything goes wrong and it usually means spend spend spend, often on a cat or a dog. In this house it's not just cats and dogs, it's moms, dads, everything! I have no idea what your situation is so I won't state the obvious anymore.
One thing you could try is starting a new thread with the photos and summarize what you know so far. It's kind of frowned upon but screw that. If you do please delete what I just said. I'm the guy that sometimes shoots his mouth off before thinking, I'm working on that.
My name is Dickson, the cat is Noah, we're far away in Canada.
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Thanks! He is short hair, but his coat is fairly thick I guess. I never thought of trimming the hair, that might be a good idea. No discharge that I can see. I can't even tell if that dark spot is open or if it's just a dark spot on his skin. :arghh:
There is no way he'd let me take his temperature. LOL. He is a cat that does not even like to be petted. Herein lies my problem of trying to test his blood (which I have not done successfully since he bit me a couple of months ago). I'm surprised too, but trying not to get a complex about it. Nothing on the FB page either..
I'm even worried if he's going to let me put the oil on him, the skin looks so sore, I'm sure it's not going to feel great when I try to gently rub it in. :arghh:
I'm Lori and am in NYC, just north of it anyway..
Thanks for your post, getting a response, helps me feel less alone in all this..
 
I once adopted a beautiful Abyssinian cat from a filthy shelter and the deal was this $750 cat needed me to puncture the abscess on his back every night and pump in antibiotic goop, just disgusting and 100 years ago. I had to scuff him and argue with him but it all worked out in the end. In fact the very last night he gave me the look and I couldn't do it, he'd had enough. I have to go Lori, behind on everything and of course my wife is as sick as a dog. :banghead: :)
 
It is really hard to tell from the photos, it would be good to know if it's open or just irritated, also does he lick them?

If it's open I'm not sure is a good idea to use coconut oil in it

Did the vet tested the lesions for fungus?
 
If you can clip the hair around the suspect spot, you can get a better idea of what is going on. I would trim the hair down to the skin at least 1/4 inch around the spot. Then can you take another photo of the spot?

After you clip, Clean the area with an antiseptic soap (like chlorhexidine, avoid betadine unless you don’t mind him being yellow) and rinse with water. Then you can apply an antibiotic ointment to hydrocortisone cream.

Peroxide can dry and irritate the skin. It is good for initially flushing wounds, due to the bubbling action. It can actually slow healing and cause damage to new skin growth.

Like Veronica said, if the wound is open don’t use the coconut oil and I don’t think i would apply the steroid cream either.
 
If it's open I've used Bonux ( I'm not sure is available where you live the formula says is digluconate of clorhexidine or maybe clorhexidine digluconate I'm not sure about the correct translation) on my kitties on open wounds and is really easy to apply since is just an spray and you just leave it to dry on it's own, no rubbing or anything

Some times I've also used Furacin ( also not sure of the name on the US the formula says it's nitrofurazone) this one is an ointment so you do have to rub it on him

Both are basically antiseptics and bactericides that would at least help the lesion not to get worse at least until a vet can take a look at it

Or maybe just plain merthiolate, there's also an spray version and I think 3M has one that does not sting.


I wouldn't use peroxide on an open wound since it damages the tissue around the wound and in the long run it makes healing a lot more difficult plus it stings a lot and you usually can only apply it once because the won't allow you a second try.
 
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Noah & me said:
Thanks everyone. I was running on empty when I wrote that post.
How is Marley today Lori?
Click to expand...
Well...last night I came home to this-
2nd photo is this morning.
His shot went fine both last night and this morning. He was eating ok too.
Bringing him to vet tonight.
I put the coconut oil on him. Can't say it did anything.
It's definitely spreading quickly. Whatever it is. Upped him to 4 units from 3 1/2 twice a day starting last night. I'm worried about this thing whatever it is even though it doesn't seem to be bothering him. He's so Red and Raw! :arghh:
 

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Lori Gach-Delaney said:
Well...last night I came home to this-
2nd photo is this morning.
His shot went fine both last night and this morning. He was eating ok too.
Bringing him to vet tonight.
I put the coconut oil on him. Can't say it did anything.
It's definitely spreading quickly. Whatever it is. Upped him to 4 units from 3 1/2 twice a day starting last night. I'm worried about this thing whatever it is even though it doesn't seem to be bothering him. He's so Red and Raw! :arghh:
Click to expand...
I'm glad you're taking to the vet. Keep us posted.
 
ok...so this is a smidge embarrassing...Marley has a flea allergy. We had NO idea he even had fleas!! None of our 4 furbabies have any symptoms of fleas, I have not seen any on him, for 12 years, no fleas...(age of our oldest pet).
So...he got a Covenia shot and Revolution. I know some have had issues with Covenia, but he's had it before and thank goodness, all was fine. We went home with flea prevention for both cats and both dogs. Gave the other 3 their flea medicine when we got home. We have no carpeting at home, and we happened to have washed our bed linens yesterday. We will wash the pet beds too.
If anyone has any other tips for us, we'd greatly appreciate it.
The vet said it'll take a couple/few days to see any improvement. Of course we will follow up with them if we don't see it getting any better by like Friday or Saturday I guess....

The best news we got last night? Marley's blood sugar tested at 275!! It was the first time at the vet it was below 400 since he was diagnosed! I was crying!
 
Oh, give me an easily treatable issue with a generous side of embarrassment over a more serious kitty health problem any day! :D

The following veterinary shampoo helped to greatly soothe Saoirse's skin when she had hot spots:

https://uk.virbac.com/allermyl

From the linked page:

Allermyl shampoo is recommended to help restore skin damaged by allergic reactions in dogs and cats. Allermyl helps to reinforce cutaneous integrity and aids in controlling microbial proliferation.
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[Emphasis mine]


Mogs
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That's actually great news Lori considering those pics you posted. There's nothing like high-def that can make something look so hideous. :blackeye:
I have no medical advice so I'm out BUT you should know a lot of kids that go to ultra-posh private schools in Toronto have head lice, don't be embarrassed. Fleas are mother natures way of getting on your nerves. Best of luck to you and Marley. :bighug::)
 
To me, this looks like the hot spots my dog used to get when he ate food containing soy, or every autumn (I think seasonal allergies). My dog would bite it and make it grow. The way we treated it was to clip the fur around it so it could dry out. If we caught it early that's all we needed to do, if we caught it later coconut oil helped.
 
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