Hairless leg

My 4 years old cat has licked the inside of one of his back legs to a point where there is no more hair. There is no obvious injury, no cuts, no rash or anything, just bare skin. The vet can't say what it is, except maybe a trapped nerve. He gave me anti-inflamatory tabs which seem to help in the short-term, but I want to know if anyone else has an idea of what it could be. If it is a trapped nerve what can I do about it? Thanks

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Good morning...I have had a similar experience with one of my Siamese cats many years ago.

Do you have any other cats or pets in the household?   Although I am sure your veterinarian checked, this type of behavior is common in animals who are extremely sensitive to fleas and flea bites.   I do admit that just seeing it on one leg is a little uncommon though...

The reason I ask about other pets is that it is often easier to find live fleas on another pet in the household who is not sensitive to fleas.   The sensitive pets will often bite scratch and chew in a frenzy of activity to find a single flea.

If you are certain that fleas are not the issue, this would be a good question to post at the General Health forum in the Ask A Vet Expert section here.

Good luck to you!

[Mozie22]

Interesting point you made about the fleas. Mine is also a Siamese! And yes I do have other cats. I think I will de-flea them all and see if that helps. Your comments are much appreciated. Thanks!