Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 12/7/2006

Question
HI, my name is Stephanie and I have a 5 year old female cat who has been loosing hair on her belly and her legs(all 4 of them), I read one of your responses to one a lady on thi swebsite, and she said her vet said it was allergies to fleas, but in my case I have 2 other cats and they are just fine, and none of them have fleas. I'm really concerned about my cat since it she has been going through this for several months already. Her regular vet came to my house and checked her, but he said it might be allergy to the food, we changed her food 5 times, different brands, even to wet food, but still her hair keeps falling off. I hope you can tell me what I can do, thank you.
- Stephanie -  

Answer
Cats can be allergic to many things including fleas and their foods. When cats are allergic, they chew their hair out to relieve the itching.  Ask your vet o give the cat a shot of DepoMedrol.  If that stops the hair loss, then it is an allergy to something.