Did You Know That Hair Loss in Cats Can Be Caused by Medical or Behavioral Issues?

Cat hair loss can be caused by medical or behavioral issues. There are different causes of hair loss in cats, some are quite normal, while others can indicate an illness that requires medical attention. Hair loss in cats is also known as "Alopecia," which means excessive loss of hair. Alopecia is not a disease, but a symptom.

Cats normally shed, with more hair loss during warm spring and early summer months. Although, excessive amounts of cat hair loss is not normal and can indicate some type of underlying disease.

Most Common Causes Of Cat Hair Loss:

Flea Allergy Dermatitis

Cats may experience flea bite hypersensitivity, which is caused by an intensive reaction to the saliva of the flea. They will go to any lengths to reach the agitated skin, including biting off hair in the bothersome areas. Common symptoms include extreme itching, redness, scaling, and hair loss. In some cases, the infected area can become infected, which will require more intensive treatment.

Atopy:

Some cats are also allergic to pollens and allergens like dust, mold, smoke and tree pollen. This causes redness and itching around the ears and feet. The cat will excessively lick and bite the skin which eventually leads to hair loss. Initial treatment include reducing the exposure to the allergen, steroids, anti-histamines and special shampoos. Your vet may also prescribe medication to temporarily relieve the worst of the itching. In most cases, the fur will grow back.

Poor Nutrition May Cause Cat Hair Loss:

Hair loss due to poor nutrition often affects the whole cat, although it may affect areas that are easily worn and over the back and hips where hair follicles have shorter growth cycles and longer inactive periods.

For a healthy hair, it is important that your cat food contain nutrients that support healthy hair and skin, such as: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Remember, poor nutrition will make your cat's hair dull, loosen, and it will fall out.

Food Allergy Dermatitis:

Another cause of cat hair loss is food allergy. Common food allergies are caused by grains (wheat, corn, soy), meats and fish (beef, lamb, pork, salmon), milk and yeast. In addition to hair loss, cats may also show other symptoms such as: reddened ears, excessive licking on the feet, itching and blistering and infection in certain areas. By feeding your cats with nutritious and balanced diet they will live a long and healthy life.

Hyperthyroidism:

Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine (hormone) disorder that cats experience, which will cause hair loss, weight loss, and skin lesions. This disorder is diagnosed with a blood thyroid level check, and it can be easily controlled with medication or radioactive iodine therapy.

Ringworm:

Ringworm can also cause cat hair loss. Cats can contract ringworm directly through contact with an infected animal, or indirectly through contact with contaminated bedding, dishes, toys and other materials. Your veterinarian can perform tests and determine if your cat has been infected by this fungi. In cats and dogs, common symptoms of ringworm in include skin lesions that typically appear on the head, ears and forelimbs. Ringworm can cause flaky bald patches that sometimes look red in the center.

Psychogenic Dermatitis:

Psychogenic dermatitis, also called feline psychogenic alopecia, occurs when a cat licks himself excessively, due to anxiety, stress, fear, or boredom. The excessive liking can cause cat hair loss, skin irritation, and open sores.

Be sure to identify and address the stress factor or factors that is causing your cat to experience psychogenic dermatitis. If your cat developed open sores, your veterinarian can prescribe oral or via injection medications that are designed to stop your cat from licking. In addition to medications, you can also use bandages or obstructing collars. Remember, to prevent this issue, be sure to identify and remediate any and all environmental factors that is causing stress to your cat.

How is the cause of cat hair loss diagnosed?

If you notice your cat losing its fur and you believe it is more than usual, it is best to take your cat to the vet to get a diagnosis for the loss of hair. Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination and pay take a closer look to the area. He will ask you questions, such as: if the cat has been scratching, itching, how long it has had symptoms, if it has recently had any medication (topical flea/worming products, injection etc).

Other diagnostic tests include:

Fungus culture - To look for ringworm.

Food elimination trial - Your veterinarian will place your cat on a food trial which usually lasts between 8-12 weeks. During this time, you must refrain from giving your cat any other foods, vitamins, minerals or chewable medications apart from the prescribed diet.

Specific blood tests to check for hyperthyroidism.

Specific blood tests to check for Cushing's disease.

Skin scrapings - These are studied under a microscope to look for mites.

Once a diagnosis is made, the vet will be able to prescribe the necessary medication to prevent further loss of hair.

Please note, this is purely informational, the best source of advice and treatment regarding cat's hair loss, is your veterinarian.

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5 Common Health Problems That All Chinchilla Owners Should Be Familiar With

Chinchillas are rodents that are generally hardy pets. However, they do commonly develop a handful of problems that all chinchilla owners should be familiar with. If chinchilla owners are educated about conditions their pets potentially could develop, they can recognize abnormal signs in their animals and have them treated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to improve the chances of recovery. Common illnesses in chinchillas include:


Dental Disease
Chinchillas have open-rooted or continuously growing teeth that grow 2-3 inches per year. In the wild, they eat rough, coarse grasses that help keep these continuously growing teeth worn down. Many pet chinchillas are fed excessive amounts of dry, crumbly pellets, rather than fibrous hay, and as a result, they don’t chew enough and their teeth don’t wear down properly as they grow. In addition, their top and bottom teeth must meet properly to help wear them down as they grow.

A condition called malocclusion occurs when the teeth don’t align properly, so that the teeth surfaces hit each other inside the mouth. Once the teeth grow so long that they hit, there is no room for them to grow longer, and they become impacted in the gums and jaw bone (like wisdom teeth in people). Both the front (incisor) teeth and back (molar) teeth can become impacted — a very painful condition when the chinchilla tries to chew. Overgrown, sharp edges may form along teeth surfaces, leading to cuts on the tongue, cheek, or lips. The roots of overgrown teeth may become infected and abscessed. The chinchilla may have difficulty eating, lose weight, drool, and paw at its mouth. If an owner sees a chinchilla exhibiting any of these signs, the animal should be examined by a veterinarian right away so that treatment may be started.

A chinchilla-savvy vet should perform a thorough oral examination and take x-rays of the animal’s head to assess the teeth roots. If the teeth are overgrown and impacted but not infected, the pet should be started on a softer, easier-to-chew diet (such as shredded veggies and chopped hay), or syringe-fed a liquid diet if it cannot chew at all. It should also be given liquid anti-inflammatory medication.

If x-rays show infected teeth roots, the infected teeth must be surgically extracted under anesthesia. Prognosis for chinchillas with dental disease is better when the animal is treated early on, before they become weak and thin. In general, however, dental problems in chinchillas are recurrent and lifelong.

Ringworm
Chinchillas are common carriers of ringworm — a fungal (not a parasite or worm) skin infection that causes hair loss and crusty, scaly skin, and which is transmissible to people and other pets. Skin on the ears, face, and legs is commonly affected; however, chinchillas have very dense fur and can carry microscopic ringworm spores on their thick haircoat without actually showing any signs. Owners who notice dry, flaky skin or patches of hair loss on their pets should have them examined by a veterinarian immediately. A veterinarian can diagnose ringworm by culturing the affected skin in special fungal culture media or by having a veterinary laboratory run DNA tests on the hair to see whether fungus is present.

Treatment involves thorough clean-up of all areas in which the chinchilla has been in contact to ensure that no infectious hair is left behind that could re-infect the affected animal, other animals, or people. Mildly affected animals can be treated with topical prescription medications applied to the areas of infected skin. More severely affected animals may require long-term treatment with oral prescription medications, as well.

Fur Issues
Chinchillas commonly develop two conditions that involve their fur. First, fur chewing in chinchillas is a common behavioral problem in which they chew on their own or their cage mates’ fur so that the haircoat looks patchy. Hair growing back into the chewed regions may be shorter and darker than the original fur.

Chewing occurs most often over the back and tail but can occur anywhere on the body. Theories about why chinchillas do this include stress, hormone imbalances, dietary deficiencies, underlying dental problems, boredom, the presence of other (parasitic or fungal) skin infections, and a genetic predisposition. The most widely accepted explanation is that fur chewing is a displacement behavior in response to environmental stress, such as from an overcrowded cage, the presence of aggressive cage mates or other predatory pets (such as cats and dogs), too frequent handling, or other anxiety-inducing circumstances.

A veterinarian can diagnose fur chewing by performing a thorough physical examination and skin tests to eliminate the presence of infections such as ringworm. Proper diet must be assured, too, to rule-out dietary deficiencies. The cause of fur chewing may be difficult to pinpoint; treatment may include elimination of possible stressors by providing a larger cage, handling the pet less often, removing other pets or aggressive cage mates, and ensuring a proper diet. Offering other, more appropriate things to chew on, such as hay and wooden toys, also may help.

The second common fur issue that occurs in chinchillas is fur slip. Fur slip is another name for the release of a large patch of fur in response to being grabbed or handled roughly.

Wild chinchillas have developed this mechanism to escape predators when they are captured. They release big clumps of hair to get out of a predator’s mouth when the predator grabs them. With normal shedding, chinchillas lose small amounts of fur gradually from all over their bodies as hair ages, falls out, and is replaced by new hair growing underneath. This process is gradual, so that obvious bald spots aren’t visible. With fur slip, however, a traumatic event precedes the hair loss, a large amount of hair comes off all at once, and a clean, smooth, bald patch is left behind.

Short, stubbly hairs may grow back in the bald patch within a few weeks after fur slip occurs, but return to a full, thick, normal coat may take up to several months.

Owners can prevent fur slip from happening by never grabbing the animal directly by the fur or skin and by always supporting the pet’s body from underneath the chest, abdomen, and hind end. Also, owners should never allow other naturally predatory pets, such as cats and dogs, near their chinchillas. These other pets may be good-natured and well-intentioned in carrying the chinchilla in their mouths to play with it, but may actually cause fur slip or worse injuries.

Heat Stroke
Wild chinchillas live in the Andean Mountains where it is cold; they have developed a thick fur coat to keep them warm in a cool climate. But as pets, chinchillas are very susceptible to overheating. They function best at environmental temperatures ranging from 55-70°F and should never be exposed to temperatures above 80°F. They also don’t do well with high humidity.

During the summer, or in warm climates, they should be kept indoors in air conditioned, dry areas, and they should never be exposed to direct sunlight without access to shade.

A chinchilla suffering from heatstroke appears weak and may be collapsed; it will need to be treated by a veterinarian immediately to cool it off with fluids injected beneath the skin, a sponge bath, and direct air flow from a fan.

Chinchillas with heatstroke must be treated as soon as possible or they risk stroke, organ failure, brain injury, and even death.

Gastrointestinal Problems
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems in chinchillas occur secondarily to other systemic illnesses and to other conditions that cause stress or pain. Chinchillas with GI disease may have decreased appetite, lethargy, decreased to no stool production, diarrhea, prolapsed (sticking outside the anus) rectal tissue, and a bloated, gas-filled belly. Several causes of GI disease in chinchillas exist, including sudden diet change, feeding excessive amounts of carbohydrates (typically chinchilla pellets) or vegetables, a reaction to treatment with antibiotics, GI parasite infection, and overgrowth of abnormal intestinal bacteria or yeast. Chinchillas with any of these signs should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

A veterinarian performing a diagnostic work-up for GI disease in a chinchilla might do a stool examination for parasites, abdominal x-rays, bacterial culture of stool, blood testing, and abdominal ultrasound. Once the veterinarian determines the cause of the chinchilla’s GI signs, in addition to specific treatment of the underlying cause, he or she can provide general supportive care for GI disease, including subcutaneous fluid administration, syringe feeding, pain relief, treatment with antibiotics and/or anti-yeast medications, and gas-relieving agents, as indicated.

Emergency surgery may be warranted in cases where a chinchilla is severely bloated or has ingested a foreign object that is obstructing the passage of food through the intestinal tract, but animals with these conditions are usually extremely debilitated and are poor surgical candidates. Rectal prolapse, often associated with GI parasites and overgrowth of abnormal GI bacteria or yeast, generally requires surgery.

A simple annual veterinary check-up helps keep chinchilla owners up-to-date about preventative medical care. Owners who are educated about common illnesses in their pets generally have healthier, happier, longer-lived animals with a better quality of life.

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Zoonotic Diseases & Dogs

A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be passed from animals to humans. Following are some related to dogs.

One of the best ways to prevent zoonotic diseases is to promptly clean up pet waste. Many parasites or bacteria are not infectious in fresh pet waste, but become infectious over time and can contaminate the soil, sand or grass if allowed to sit.

Wash your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water after playing with your dog or handling its waste.

To read more on this story, click here: Zoonotic Diseases & Dogs

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Does Your Pet Have Ringworms?

Ringworm is caused by a fungus. The disease with the misleading name has nothing to do with a worm. It is a common infection that often causes itchy red patches on the skin. Dogs, cats, and humans can be affected by the disease, which causes hair to fall out in affected areas. It’s easily transmitted between people and pets, and if someone, or some pet in a household has it, all should be tested and treated, if needed. Treatment ranges from oral medications to topical products and can take weeks or months to resolve.

Overview

Ringworm in pets is most often caused by the fungus Microsporum canis. Although two other species of fungus can also cause ringworm infections, they tend to do so less frequently.

These fungi, also known as dermatophytes invade the superficial layers of the skin, hair, and/or nails. Because fungi thrive in moist environments, dermatophytes are especially persistent in humid climates and damp surroundings.

The ringworm infection caused by dermatophytes is also known as dermatophytosis. It’s not only contagious to other animals, it’s considered a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans, and vice versa. Children and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk.

Signs and Identification

In pets, the fungal infection causes the hair to become brittle and break off, resulting in bald spots. These occur most commonly on the face, ears, and legs. Within these hairless patches, the skin may be crusty or mildly inflamed, especially around the edges (hence, the ring-like appearance). If claws are affected, they may become deformed as they grow, just as in a human with a fungal infection of the nails.

Typically, the infection itself is not itchy, though secondary bacterial infections (pyoderma) may elicit significant pruritus (itchiness). Some animals may show no signs but may be sources of infection nonetheless, shedding fungal spores into the environment and serving as a reservoir for infection.

Ringworm is typically spread by contact with an infected animal. Because animals can shed fungal spores and infected hairs into the environment, touching objects the infected animal has been in contact with, including bedding and brushes, can also lead to infection. Organisms that are shed into the environment can remain infectious for months.

The best way to diagnose ringworm infection in an animal is by fungal culture. The veterinarian will pluck a few hairs from several lesions and place them on a culture medium where the organism can grow. Because it takes time for fungal growth, results may not be available for two weeks or more. Preliminary results, however, may sometimes be obtained within five days.

Veterinarians might also examine skin lesions under an ultraviolet lamp. In some cases, but not all the organism may glow yellow-green. Because this test is not always accurate, a fungal culture is still the preferred method of diagnosis.

In households in which people are diagnosed with ringworm, all the family pets should be tested. The same goes for multi-pet households in which one pet has been diagnosed with ringworm. Other pets should be tested and treated if positive in order to eliminate sources of ongoing infection.

Affected Breeds

All breeds of dogs and cats are equally susceptible. Dogs and cats with compromised immune systems may be predisposed to ringworm infections.

Treatment

In healthy animals, the infection may be self-limiting, meaning that it will eventually resolve without treatment. However, treatment can hasten resolution of the problem and limit the spread of infection to other animals and people in the household.

Pets may be treated with topical products, oral medications, or both. Before applying a topical treatment, veterinarians may recommend shaving or clipping the infected area. Topical treatments include lime sulfur dip, anti-fungal sprays/creams or antifungal shampoos.

There are a number of oral medications for ringworm, such as griseofulvin and itraconazole. Griseofulvin should never be given to a pregnant animal because it may cause birth defects in developing puppies or kittens. It may also cause bone marrow suppression in cats, especially those with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Administration of griseofulvin may require periodic blood monitoring tests. Itraconazole is rapidly becoming the preferred oral treatment for cats because it has fewer side effects.

Thorough cleaning and treatment of the home environment is important to prevent recurrence and spread of the infection to pets and people. To eliminate fungal organisms in the environment:

• Clip affected areas on the pet and dispose of all hairs.
• Confine infected pets to one area of the house.
• Thoroughly vacuum areas that were highly trafficked by the pet and dispose of the vacuum bag outside. Wash all bedding and toys in hot water.
• Dispose of any carpets or rugs, if possible.
• Clean exposed areas and kennels with chlorine bleach that has been diluted 1:10 or with an antifungal spray recommended by your veterinarian.
• Repeat vacuuming and surface treatment at least monthly until infection is resolved.
• Treatment may be required for six weeks or longer. Once skin lesions have resolved, fungal cultures should be performed again. Treatment should not be stopped until fungal cultures are negative. Discontinuing treatment based only on resolution of lesions may result in recurrence of the infection.

Prevention

It’s difficult to prevent ringworm infection 100% in pets that enjoy outdoor life. These organisms are in the soil and might be on other dogs in the dog park, for example. Keeping cats indoors is an obvious solution, but even they can be infected by humans or dogs in the household.

Once characteristic lesions are seen, however, owners should take care not to touch the lesions and take their pets quickly to the veterinarian to prevent the spread of this skin infection.



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