Cat with hair loss and bloody/scabby head

[ragarone]

I have a 1 year old long-haired male orange tabby cat.  He's a big hefty guy, and has always been healthy.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a small sore/scab on his head.  It was smaller than the size of a pencil eraser, and since I have 3 other cats, I figured it was from one of their sparring matches and no big deal.

But, over the last 2 weeks, his head has become bloody, scabby and he has lost all the hair on the top of his head where it's all bloody/scabby.  I've just noticed he has a few small bloody/scabby patches under his chin and one on the back of his head.

I've seen small clumps of his hair on the furniture since this began, and all the clumps have some scab attached to them.

Anyone have any idea of what this could be?  I won't have the $ to take him to a vet for another 2 weeks.  I do have an Elizabethan collar...maybe I should put this on him and isolate him in a safe room?

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks.

[opus88]

I agree if you can do so than find a homeo Vet...please do not continue with all the steroids this will cause your kitty to become diabetic...they should not have anymore than 3 shots a year, max!!

My cat has the same thing, it took time to dx and treat. your kitty is on good brands of food thats great for starters, do make sure its a protein that hes never had before...if he usally eats chicken than stop the chicken...its in most foods and the biggest culprit for allergies.
this disease is called eosinophilic plaque....or EOSINOPHILIC GRANDULUMA COMPLEX ......(EGC)
google the name. its an immune system disease, kitties get a flea bite (usually the reason) or house dust or pollen and they develop an allergic response. us humans sneeze or have runny eyes when we develop an allergy...with cats it always shows up on their skin!!

feed kitty the venison, thats a good one and no grains for sure.

I treat the small scabs with COLLIADIOL SILVER avail at health food stores, just dap a small amount on the scab 2-3x day. If kitty has rubbed the scab(as my Sami will)..it can then develop a secondary infection and will need an antibiotic, but if you get it early enough the colliadol silver will keep it for becomming infected....it will dry up the scab in 1-2 days than it will just fall off...it will also help with the itching.

here are two sites with more info on this disease. good luck and let us know how you both make out.

BTW both of you welcome to our cat community, hope you stay with us so we can learn from each other.

www.dermvetvegas.com/allergies_treatments.html

www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/starnes/index.php

[LouLou65]

Please try to find a holistic vet for all of your kitty problems. Once the vet finds the proper remedy, the cat will be fully healed of all ailments. For example...parasites cannot survive on a cat that is treated homeopathically. I have a persian who has had breathing difficulties, watery eyes and itchy skin with fur loss. She has been treated with cortisone in the past for her fur loss (by a conventional vet). BIG MISTAKE! This surpresses the problem and the fur loss always comes back. Plus, over time...cortisone, antibiotics, etc. cause organ damage and illness. In working with the homeopathic vet, my cats health is amazing. Her breathing and eyes are great, especially for a persian with a flat face! Her itchiness is getting better too but still has some more recovery to go. Also, homeopathy will NEVER hurt the animal...it will only improve the immune system. Please do some research and you will see that I speak the truth.

[oozypoo]

I have a main coon with the same problem,I have spent almost 2 grand and she still breaks out.she gets an eighty dollar a month steroid shot.It really is driving me nuts,for her sake.this has been going on for the last year and a half.she only gets Origen food(no grain,wheat),and grain free wet food(wellness).it breaks my heart for her,alls I want is for my cat to feel better.my other cat is just fine-and if by being fat makes you fine,he's doing pretty good for himself.I hope someone might be able to help.

[cathelpakal]

Because Origen chicken actually has Mackerel in it which some cats are allergic to.  My cat breaks out in bloody patches on his head BECAUSE or origin.  I had to remove Origen from his diet.  Buy food without white fish and Mackerel and you will see a change.  Don't bee deceived by food that say chicken.  They throw fish in there.

[cathelpakal]

Because Origen chicken actually has Mackeral in it which many cat are allergic to.  My cat breaks out in bloody patches on his head BECAUSE or origin.  I had to remove Origen form his diet.

[Savas]

Heh heh...ain't ringworm fun??? I went through that, it was three months of h*ll.

Well, parasites have a way of showing up anywhere...I'd bet if a cat was in a vacuum, it could get one.

The only other two things I can think of off the top of my head is;

One, it was a simple injury or infection site that's having difficulty healing due to scratching.

Second, it's a flea bite allergy (just because you don't see 'em doesn't mean a few aren't hanging out). A cat with this condition will often scratch hinself bloody, and the areas you discribe are classic "infiltration points". (if you're right about the food allergy, it's a similar concept).

The third (didn't I say two? Oh well) would be a combination of the above and a stress reaction; all the attention, well intended and likely neccessary, could be causing your cat to have an elevated stress reaction. self wounding through scratching is a common result from stress.

Which is just bloody frustrating. Cats...can't live with 'em...can't eat 'em. :)

[ragarone]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my post.  I do appreciate your advice.

None of the other cats have even a hint of this problem going on with them.  And they are all strictly indoor cats, so the likelihood of mange is quite slim.  Although, I did think it could be a concern at first, but when I compare his head to the info I found online, I'm reasonably certain it is not mange.

All of my cats came to me with various illnesses, since they are all "rescues".  I have had two kittens come in with ringworm.  At the time I brought them into the house, they only had a few spots on their paws that were bare, but not scabby.  I missed the dx of ringworm at that time.  Then, we all got it.  All the other cats, and all of us humans too.  You can imagine what fun that was trying to clear up an entire fungus-covered family!   Well, my point in telling you this is that, based on my prior experience, what my big guy has doesn't appear to be ringworm either.

I had recently changed the cats' food to another brand that contains duck as one of its protein sources.  He'd never had duck before.  So, I've put him back on his previous food to see if he's experiencing an allergic reaction to his new food.  I have put the E-collar on him, and isolated him in a safe room.  I will, of course, be keeping a close eye on his condition.  

If it seems to be getting worse over the next couple of days, I should be able to get one of those horrible payday loans to fund a vet visit.  (I'm not aware of any vets nearby who will take payments or a post-dated check.)  Hopefully, he'll show some improvement now....or at least not show any worsening of symptoms.

Thank you again for your response.

[Savas]

It sounds like the start of mange or ringworm. The scabs usually come with ringworm, but not always (the two are often cross diagnosed accidentally). I would start by picking up some "Lotrimin"(Athlete's foot cream for humans) and putting that on the spots with the problem (yes, a human med, one of the VERY few that works for humans or cats).

  If, by the time two weeks is up there's been no improvement, take kitty to the vet.