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cat losing fur...

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  • 23-03-2003 4:03pm
    #1
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭


    my 7 year old female cat seems to be going bald:confused:

    there's a massive thin patch of fur on her belly & a small patch on the outside of her front/left leg.

    she's going to the vet sometime in the next week or so, but i just wanted to check if it could be anything serious first.


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    #2
    thedrowner
    Registered Users Posts: 2,287 ✭✭✭thedrowner


    it's most probably stress, or it could be flea bite dermatitis(usually you'd see scabbing with this too), im sure it's nothing serious-she's proabbly just moulting!


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    #3
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    yeah, i thought it was all happening a bit close to when she normally starts shedding, they were de-flead a couple of weeks back so i doubt it'd be the flea deelio.
    thanks for putting my mind at rest


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    #4
    thedrowner
    Registered Users Posts: 2,287 ✭✭✭thedrowner


    yeah, plus the hot weather has just started coming in so it could be something to do with that


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    #5
    Saruman
    Registered Users Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    Get some sticky tape and superglue....

    Oh not to be a downer but she is 7? How long do cats typically live for? I think maybe a little longer than 7 but not by much. Have you taken to a vet?


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    #6
    koneko
    Registered Users Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    A lot longer than 7 usually (in my experience). Our cat (the only one left) is 17 at the moment.

    Tman, wouldn't worry about it too much, used to happen to our cats. Can be stress related, just give her some treats and a blanket :)


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    #7
    Hellrazer
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hellrazer


    Originally posted by thedrowner
    yeah, plus the hot weather has just started coming in so it could be something to do with that


    Ive noticed that ours is starting to lose hair.I do actually think its the "mild" weather that we`ve been having lately.
    But Tman,I wouldnt actually think that its a serious problem.
    Richie.


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    #8
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    Originally posted by koneko
    Tman, wouldn't worry about it too much, used to happen to our cats. Can be stress related, just give her some treats and a blanket :)
    true enough, the cats blanket is looking pretty minging, i'll change that tonight.
    the cat's are normally ignored by my parents when i'm away at college, so i'll be sure to spoil them for the next couple of weeks


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    #9
    RED HORN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 153 ✭✭RED HORN


    You may be able to sell it here


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    #10
    koneko
    Registered Users Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    Red Horn. Consider this your first and last warning.

    Serious topics do not need bad attempt at humour injected into them. Animal cruelty is not a joke. Cut it out.


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    #11
    RED HORN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 153 ✭✭RED HORN


    Sorry, I didn't mean any offence.

    Just for the record I don't condone animal cruelty in any way shape or form.

    Sorry.


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    #12
    koneko
    Registered Users Posts: 10,304 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    No worries, just don't let it happen again :P


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    #13
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,472 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Sudden hair loss on the belly and legs of a cat (particularly females) is quite common in middle-aged cats, and is invariably due to a hormone deficiency. Has your cat demonstrated any signs of depression - aloofness, listlessness, loss of appetite?
    Treatment ususally consists of a simple hormone injection, or, if that doesn't work, a pill treatment lasting about a month.
    You've probably been to the vet in the meantime, but if not, bring her there, and don't worry about it.


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    #14
    thedrowner
    Registered Users Posts: 2,287 ✭✭✭thedrowner


    so did u go to the vet and what did he/she say?


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    #15
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    Originally posted by pickarooney
    Sudden hair loss on the belly and legs of a cat (particularly females) is quite common in middle-aged cats, and is invariably due to a hormone deficiency. Has your cat demonstrated any signs of depression - aloofness, listlessness, loss of appetite?
    Treatment ususally consists of a simple hormone injection, or, if that doesn't work, a pill treatment lasting about a month.
    You've probably been to the vet in the meantime, but if not, bring her there, and don't worry about it.

    she's shown all 3 signs at one time or another in the last month or so... i'd say it's definitely that.

    should be taking her to the vets tomorrow, or tuesday if we can't get an appointment.
    thanks for the help guys, i'll post whatever it was here after we've been to the vets.


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    #16
    Ms Taken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Ms Taken


    Four of my cats started loosing their fur it turned out they had the mange and we had to get a special dip for them, wasn't nice.


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    #17
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    took her to the vets yesterday & she had a quick look at the cat, took her again today to have some skin & blood samples taken.
    should be a week or 2 before the results come back:(
    the poor cat's in a bit of a state at the mo, the vet gave her loads of sedatives before she took the samples.


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    #18
    Ms Taken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Ms Taken


    She'll be ok don't worry! one of my cats got cancer once which was around six years ago and she's still alive and kicking after all the treatment she got!


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    #19
    Saruman
    Registered Users Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    Our cat (the only one left) is 17 at the moment
    17? hmm cool!

    Actually i should know how long they live myself... if i tried hard i could figure it out.. im a big cat lover (nothing sinister :D ). I prefert to any other pet.
    Anyway i have had a load of them.. most strays i have picked up and all lived till the end of their days.. And on simple recollection (was not thinking last time) i would have to say you are right Koneko! I cant think exactly but i know my cats have lived 17 years or more. I have only had 2 that i have brought up from kitten to old age. Im on my third right now and she must be 6 years or so now. My first one was around before me so dont know how old she was when etc.. I know Tibby my huge Tom was born before my little sister and died when she was about 17 or so. Fluffy which was a few years later died only a few years back. Sheeba was the first.. a black like Salem from Sabrina.. only not stuffed... and currently missy!! also black but a long hair, though not overly long. She is a character. :D sometimes she will ignore you.. wont want to sit on you.. then others she wants nothing more than to sit on you and wont let you put her down then :p She has not perfected sitting on my shoulder though. Tibby and Fluffy could lie down up there and i could walk around with them on my shoulder and they loved it, Missy stands up and is awkward about it.


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    #20
    Rancid
    Registered Users Posts: 1,434 ✭✭✭Rancid


    Originally posted by pickarooney
    Sudden hair loss on the belly and legs of a cat (particularly females) is quite common in middle-aged cats, and is invariably due to a hormone deficiency. Has your cat demonstrated any signs of depression - aloofness, listlessness, loss of appetite?
    Treatment ususally consists of a simple hormone injection, or, if that doesn't work, a pill treatment lasting about a month.
    You've probably been to the vet in the meantime, but if not, bring her there, and don't worry about it.

    Agree totally with this... I have a 7 year old female tabby and she's gone through several phases of licking her back and/or her lower belly to the point of total baldness ( she "shaves", I tell people!).
    Vet thought fleas or food allergy... turned out to be stress and a course of hormone tabs worked well.

    However, by nature she's a cranky cat, not always able to accept the attention she wants ...and often mistaking my other cat's playfulness for agression.


    Cat ages?
    My oldest cat lived to 18 years and 3 months.


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    #21
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,472 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Originally posted by tman
    took her to the vets yesterday & she had a quick look at the cat, took her again today to have some skin & blood samples taken.
    should be a week or 2 before the results come back:(
    the poor cat's in a bit of a state at the mo, the vet gave her loads of sedatives before she took the samples.

    Rancid's posts reminded me, and the vet probably asked you this, but have their been any stressful changes in your cat's life recently, such as : moving house, a new cat, dog or child in the house or in the neighbour's yard, an injury etc?


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    #22
    tman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,339 ✭✭✭✭tman


    Originally posted by Saruman
    She has not perfected sitting on my shoulder though. Tibby and Fluffy could lie down up there and i could walk around with them on my shoulder and they loved it, Missy stands up and is awkward about it.
    lol, you just reminded me of my older cat (died of cat aids a few months back:( )
    he was nearly always on my shoulders, friendliest cat ever!
    Originally posted by pickarooneyRancid's posts reminded me, and the vet probably asked you this, but have their been any stressful changes in your cat's life recently, such as : moving house, a new cat, dog or child in the house or in the neighbour's yard, an injury etc?
    the vet never asked that...
    the only one of those that it could be is the child, my 3 year old nephew.
    doubt it somehow tho, he used to harrass the cats all the time but he stopped doing that a good while before all the baldness started.


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    #23
    Rancid
    Registered Users Posts: 1,434 ✭✭✭Rancid


    Originally posted by tman

    the vet never asked that...
    the only one of those that it could be is the child, my 3 year old nephew.
    doubt it somehow tho, he used to harrass the cats all the time but he stopped doing that a good while before all the baldness started.
    Don't underestimate the sensitivity of cats to what goes on around them!
    If it's a nervous or temperamental cat, the reactions could be delayed....


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