Expert: Jessica - 10/29/2010

Question
my maine coont  cat is losing hair causing bald spots? what can i do about this

Answer
Hi Sarah,

This really requires a vet visit.  Before treating this problem, the cause will need to be determined.  Hair loss with bald spots can be caused by a number of things, including:

+ flea, environmental, food and contact allergies
+ auto-immune disease
+ mites such as cheyletiella and notoedric mange
+ fungal infections like ringworm
+ bacterial infections including staph and strep
+ psychogenic alopecia - overgrooming, often due to anxiety
+ dry skin
+ matted fur

Most of these problems have different treatments, so determining which of them is afflicting your cat will be very important.  Your vet will have a good idea of what the problem is just by examining the skin and location/pattern of hair loss.  For instance, the most hair loss on the belly accompanied by itchiness can indicate that fleas are to blame, while the most hair loss on the legs along with broken fur could indicate psychogenic alopecia.  Ringworm has a typical crusty appearance in many cases.  However, your vet might want to take a hair sample or do a skin scraping to examine under a microscope or send off to a lab to be sure of the cause.

In the case of suspected allergies, your vet might suggest a prescription food, a cortisone shot and a flea treatment such as Advantage, Frontline or Revolution. Auto-immune disease is also treated with a cortisone shot. Mites are often treated with a flea treatment, usually Frontline, or the vet may prescribe a special shampoo.  Ringworm may require a sulfur shampoo, an anti-fungal cream or an oral medication to treat.  Bacterial infections can be cured with antibiotics, usually a combination of oral and topical.  In cases of psychogenic alopecia, you should usually consider putting the cat on an antidepressant.  Most cats only need treatment for a few months.  However, you could think about trying a treatment like Feliway, first, if you want to avoid this (see www.feliway.com).  For dry skin, I recommend feeding a high-protein diet, such as those that are grain-free, along with a skin supplement like Dermaquin.  Some good grain-free foods are Taste of the Wild, BG (Before Grain), Felidae Grain Free and Evo.  Matted fur will probably require shaving.  This is best for the kitty, since tight mats can cause skin infections, and cats will rip painful mats out at the roots.

I hope that helps you out!

Jessica