Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 2/16/2006

Question
My cat keeps getting dry scabs on his skin. The latest outbreak is on the neck/head/shoulder area.  A few months ago he had an outbreak of these scabs on his lower back near his tail.  There is hair loss at the site of the sores, they are dry scabs, some are large and others tiny.  Sometimes the small ones are close together.  In addition to his head area, I just found a large one on his right side. They disappear on their own, then I think the problem has ended, and all of a sudden, he has another break-out.  A few of my other cats developed sores, but they went away.  This one cat definitely has a problem.  I used an ultraviolet light, but didn't see any ringworm spores.  My cats do not go outside.  What could this be?

Answer
You are describing a condition called "miliary dermatitis."  This is often a sign of allergy.  Your cat may be allergic to something in the house like housedust mites or it could be allergic to something in the food.  Some cats with ear mites also have a skin reaction to these insects in the ears.  Ask your vet if your cat can have a shot of DepoMedrol to get the itching stopped.