male cat is going bald

Hi...my cat is losing hair around the base of his tail (actually, he is completely bald there) and on either side of his hips. It looks like a white band around his tail. He does not chew himself and he does not have fleas. He is an indoor cat but I have given him frontline just to make sure....we have tile floors. His hair is long and straight and thinning all over his end now. The vets say to treat him for fleas..although they found none...and they say it could be he is allergic to his food..(Purina One)..but he wont eat any other I try to give...his is fine except for this. He is anything BUT lethargic, a real talker, and loveable. Is this just male pattern baldness????? Or should I be worried?

 

Tiddy did the same thing a while back. The vet suggested (like your vet did) that it could be fleas or a food allergy. I could'nt find a flea on him but the vet found some when she used a flea comb.
If you could get him on another food that may help rule out food allergies. You might have success by very gradually mixing in a little new food in with the old over a period of 3wks or more depending on just how reluctant he is too eat the new food. The first time I tried switching my cats food they would not accept the new food. My vet suggested a more gradual approach and it finally worked. Good luck.

 

male cat going bald

Thank you, Vanessa ! I will try it that way. He shares his food with my other cat (they have separate bowls, but they are constantly in each others)....I was wondering if maybe they are allergic to each other!! :mrgreen: ....both cats were left by my kids when they came home from college. ( they can NOT have them back)
Thank you for your answer.
jan

 

My friend's cat Jezebel started losing her hair by her tail last year. He took her to the vet and the vet said it was allergies but it would've cost my friend about 600 dollars to find out exactly what she was allergic to and he didn't have the money to do that. They put his cat on prednisone (sp) and it helped but he had to give it to her every day by piller and it made her gain ALOT of weight!! So he went to another vet and changed her pills to something else (I forget what) and she dropped all the weight and her hair grew back. She'd doing fine with being pilled every two days.

Her's wasnt a food allergy I don't think, because she had been on the same food forever. You could try the food thing first though and try to rule things out as you go.

If the vet ever prescribed you prednisone for him to take long term, I'd ask for something else. You sure don't want him to end up with diabetes or some other disease from being overweight.

I'm not very knowledgeable about vet issues, just sharing his story since it sounded so similar.

I'd like to know how it turns out though! Write and let us know.

 

male cat going bald

Thank you for taking the time to write. I will certainly start with the food...the vet will unfortunately come last, since I know it will be a big bill. I will rule out the food first. Maybe I will even try a different kitty litter...auuuuuugh!!!! on the other hand, bald is good.....
Thank you again. Jan

 

Prednisone is a steroid. My mom was given it after a second failed neck surgery left her in a great deal of pain. (disc problem)

I would recommend that PEOPLE be a careful about going on it as cats.

She got this huge moon face (common side effect) so that I barely recognized her when I saw her the first time. Anyway, I can't remember how long she took it, but she did end up with diabetes, which she will have forever. At least the moon face went away.

I didn't know they gave it to cats too - I will never let Tobey or Ninja take it!

 

male cat going bald

Thank you! I will be very careful about animals and prednisone. Before my dog died I begged the doctor for it, but only because his skin was so aggravated from a flea problem (red and raw) . I will certainly heed your advice.
Thanks, Jan

 

Just a little FYI on Prednisone, cats handle it generally better than humans and dogs, they can still have any of the side effects but are 'less likely' to.

 

male cat going bald

Thanks!! Jan