Breeder's opinion (E. Taranova) The condition of the hairline in a cat is a reflection of the work of the whole organism. Normally, a cat sheds a small amount of hair daily or during the seasonal molt. Excessive hair loss is called baldness or alopecia and indicates serious health problems for your pet. Hair is a modified part of the skin, and only part of it comes to the surface. The root is attached to the hair follicle, which is surrounded by blood vessels and nerve endings. Therefore, hair loss is the result of various causes. The causes of baldness in cats can be congenital or acquired. • Congenital include those that have affected the body of a pregnant cat: lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet of the animal; stress; diseases of various nature; unbalanced diet; starvation and, as a result, exhaustion. Exposure to these causes even before pregnancy can serve as a prerequisite for the occurrence of alopecia in the future generation, as a result of which the fetus has a disruption in the functioning of the endocrine glands and a violation of the formation of hair follicles. This should also include hereditary anomalies, arising, among other things, from inbreeding. However, it is important to clarify: if hereditary anomalies are accompanied only by the absence of hair (partially or completely), and not by changes in the anatomical arrangement of organs or a violation of their work, then we can talk about individual, and in some cases, breed affiliation. It is these anomalies that underlie the creation of cat breeds: Sphynx, Bambino, Elf, Ukrainian Levkoy, Cohona. • Acquired baldness in cats can be a symptom of a disease of the skin itself: dermatitis (inflammatory skin diseases); seborrhea (increased secretion of the sebaceous glands); parasitic diseases (scabies) or fungal lesions (ringworm, favus, trichophytosis). Alopecia should also be included here. , as a result of aging of the hair follicles, or from constant injury to certain areas of the hairline. Another large group of factors that cause alopecia in cats is a violation in the body itself: stress: the cat itself intensively licks and plucks out areas of the skin; allergies to food, drugs , for flea bites, odors, low-quality zoocosmetics, etc.; hormonal status disorders: diabetes mellitus, insufficient or excessive levels of thyroid hormones, adrenal glands, etc.; intoxication (acute or long-term infectious disease); inflammatory processes; blood diseases; condition after a difficult birth; lack of vitamins, especially group A, C, B; malignant tumors of internal organs. In some cases, the cause of hair loss in a cat remains unknown, then we are talking about the unexplained nature of baldness. Symptoms In a healthy cat, the coat is smooth, shiny, firmly held in the skin, and the cover itself is not ruffled. With the development of alopecia areas of baldness can be complete or partial, symmetrical or not. In some cases, the animal can comb these areas, and the skin here is hot and reddened. With skin diseases or behavioral disorders, alopecia are symmetrical on the trunk, forelimbs, thighs, sides or abdomen. The age and gender of the animal do not matter. In case of manifestations of stress, the hairs broken and torn out by the cat itself are located in the back, on the limbs, abdomen and inner thighs, near the genitals and anus. Cats of "nervous" breeds are especially susceptible: Siamese, Burmese, Himalayan and Abyssinian. In these breeds, hair after restoration will have a darker color. In case of violations of the hormonal status, alopecia are observed in the region of the bridge of the nose, croup, base of the tail, hips, and chest. The skin loses its elasticity. And with a lack of thyroid hormones in a cat in the area of \u200b\u200bthe pelvic bones, the hair is easily pulled out from the root. Such alopecias, including asymmetrical ones, are recorded on the abdomen, chest and neck. The cover is restored with difficulty. In malignant tumors, there is a complete absence of hair shafts on the abdomen, alopecia quickly passes to the chest and limbs, and then can affect the entire surface of the skin. At the same time, the skin on the affected areas shines. With beriberi A, alopecia areata develops: spots without hair, round in shape, form on the skin, which merge to form large alopecia. The skin has a bright pink color. With microscopic fungi (trichophytosis, microsporia), hairless areas of the skin are reddened, may have scales and crusts, scabs and wounds. With scabies, redness, itching, and in especially advanced cases, purulent inflammation of the skin are observed. Dermatitis is accompanied by an increase in local body temperature, scratching, the appearance of pimples, etc. In an unfavorable course of alopecia, an infection may join, and then an inflammatory process develops on the skin. Diagnosis of alopecia in cats only a veterinarian. As a rule, the doctor will offer approximately the following algorithm for diagnosing: collecting information about the history of the life and disease of the cat; clinical examination of the animal; general clinical blood test, biochemical if necessary; microscopic examination of the hair; scraping from the affected areas of the skin, which helps to identify diseases caused by microscopic fungi; sometimes x-rays, ultrasound may be required to determine the cause of baldness. Preventive measures include: Compliance with the rules of care and maintenance of a cat. Balanced diet. Absence of stress factors. Timely vaccination of cats against infectious diseases. Avoiding contact of a healthy cat with sick ones. Timely treatment from endo- and ex-parasites. Moderate hair loss is a natural process that does not always require treatment. The main reason for this phenomenon is the annual molt, in which the old hairline falls out, and a new one grows in its place. It is noteworthy that cats shed much more hair than cats. It is noteworthy that some hairless breeds of cats were bred by crossing related individuals. Other causes of physiological hair loss: rubbing collars, bandages or harnesses; bathing more than once every 5 months; bathing with cheap human shampoos and detergents not intended for this purpose; stress situation; age-related baldness around the eyes, ears, paws, mustache loss. These causes do not pose any danger to the health of the cat and do not require treatment. As a rule, after a certain time, the hair grows back if the animal is not old. Signs of pathology Alopecia is an anomaly that has arisen against the background of a malfunction in the body and requires medical intervention. Large bald patches and bald spots on the pet's body should alert the owner. Methods of treatment: If the problem is associated with an allergic reaction, the animal must be completely protected from the allergen. After that, drugs are prescribed to improve immunity. If the allergy is caused by food, then it is necessary to put the cat on a diet. Skin lesions by mites and lice must be treated with special antiparasitic drugs. The diet includes vitamins and nutritional supplements to strengthen the immune system. If the bald spot on the cat's body appeared due to an infectious disease, the doctor prescribes a course of antibiotic therapy. As a rule, Amoxicillin is used for this. Baldness caused by stress in an animal is treated with special sedative drugs. Alopecia caused by demodicosis is treated with bathing with selenium sulphide shampoo (1%). If a veterinarian has diagnosed ringworm, then treatment is carried out drugs: Ketoconazole, Itraconazole, Griseofulfin and so on. In this case, it is recommended to use immunosuppressive agents and drugs to improve metabolism. It is important to remember that ringworm is transmitted to humans. Hormonal drugs are prescribed for endocrine disorders. Skin abscesses are treated with topical or systemic antibiotics, as well as antiseptics. Use drugs prescribed by a veterinarian. Self-medication can harm the animal, especially if you use the wrong medicine or do not maintain the allowable dosage. If a problem with the coat appears, you need to carefully examine the cat, its coat and skin. If on the skin of a cat whose hair has come out on its hind legs, there is a rash elsewhere, small or large, it is possible to diagnose allergic dermatitis. Regularly, but gradually, an allergen accumulates in the blood of each cat. If this happens faster, and also the cat has a weak immune system, then hair loss is guaranteed. With allergies, the owner of the animal can observe watery eyes, sneezing, and hair falls out in large bunches. The specialist will prescribe a complex treatment. Such severe baldness is usually observed during the acute course of an allergic reaction. Without eliminating the cause of the allergy, it will not be possible to cope with hair problems. How flea bites can affect the health of a cat Flea bites are not as familiar and trifling for a cat as it seems to a person. will comb his body strongly. You can even notice how there is no tuft of wool at the site of the wound from scratching, it stops growing. The skin around the bite becomes red and inflamed. Baldness due to pancreatitis. This disease, even with a sluggish course, is accompanied by diarrhea, indigestion, fatigue and lethargy of the animal. And also with such diseases in cats, the back and other parts of the body go bald. It is possible to determine the presence of pancreatitis in an animal, due to which it thins the coat on the tail, back, between the hind legs, not only by private diarrhea, but also by rumbling in the stomach. that he still had a lot of hair fall out on some parts of the body. Sometimes visible and easily diagnosed are found, but they can be hidden, which is even more dangerous. Therefore, having identified the appearance of alopecia after the disease of an internal pet, it is necessary to immediately report this to the veterinarian, the observed cat. With such a state of psychological health, the pet does not want to go on hands, does not allow himself to be stroked, looks for secluded corners, and may shudder from sharp and loud sounds. IMPORTANT! As you can see, bald spots are always on the cat's body about some kind of health problem, so you can not leave this symptom unattended. Specifically, endocrine can be different. Additional symptoms of hypothyroidism are lethargy, sometimes obesity, and a decrease in body temperature. How to draw bald cats due to the endocrine system, you can see in the photo sites about feline health, accurate carrier surgeries that allow you to quickly recognize the recovery in order to start its treatment. pregnancy or stress. During gestation, lactation or due to severe stress in cats, hair loss may begin. Baldness over the eyes. Between the ages of 14 and 20 months, cats, especially dark shorthairs, begin to lose hairs above the eyes. This process is natural and, if there is no redness, treatment is also not required; a side effect of drugs. Sometimes baldness occurs after taking medications; injection consequences. Sometimes baldness occurs where the injection was made after a couple of months. In addition, there may be thickening of the skin, hyperpigmentation. Everything also goes away on its own; solar dermatosis. This reaction to sunlight usually occurs in white cats. It goes away on its own (although the animal will need to avoid sunlight), but sometimes medicines are also needed. Symptoms: hair falls out, redness occurs, crusts and sores appear on the nose, ears; neurogenic dermatitis. Due to stress, anxiety, boredom, a cat can lick a lot. As a rule, the loss of hair is symmetrical. To cure, you need to understand the cause of the stressful condition; alopecia areata. An autoimmune disease that goes away on its own. Hair falls out on the head, neck, body (without itching). Baldness, as a symptom, is also observed with lice, calcivirosis. If the animal has bald spots on the body and head, this may be a sign of a food allergy. Allergies should be looked for in the pet's diet. They can be: Proteins of animal and vegetable origin; Various cereals; Meat - in particular, lamb. But there is another reason to which we bring you so smoothly. These are, of course, disorders of the ovaries: their tumors, polycystosis, follicular cysts. In other words, their increase and non-specific abnormal work. As a result - a violation of the hormonal background of the body as a whole. This theory is supported by the fact that among the 150 (observed by us) animals with symmetrical alopecia, 137 had one or another pathology of the ovaries. And this is only in the conditions of our modest capabilities and a small number of animals examined. Of course, the reason for this is the uncontrolled and thoughtless use of drugs such as "Contrasex", "Stop Meow" and others, which do not even mention the composition and active substances. And of course, general disturbances in the reproduction of animals, which contradicts the evolutionary purpose of the organism as a whole. In extreme cases, the pathology of the ovaries, when they are already very enlarged, often leads to licking of the area symmetrical to them and projected onto the skin. But not necessarily Treatment of focal symmetrical alopecia One can talk about treatment for a long time. About expediency of carrying out of analyzes - too. I will only say a few words. Not everyone can afford the analyzes and not every certified doctor will be able to interpret them. It is difficult to establish the norm and deviation in the concentration of this or that hormone, and even more so the sex hormone, in the blood of each individual animal. And its establishment is connected with a temporary factor, and since the animal has already fallen ill, it is doubly difficult. Therefore, it is not always justified. Naturally, treatment can be prescribed by excluding all or almost all of the above causes of alopecia. However, a serious and practicing veterinarian can do it. I emphasize that it can be without a bunch of hormonal tests and the time spent on it, but certainly with a tough differential diagnosis and general analyzes. We recommend the use of Ovariovit 2-3 times a week - up to 15-20 weeks, vitamin therapy, a small dose of corticosteroids (according to the situation ) and the drug Diane-35 1/3 dragee 1 time per day for 3-9 months. It is possible to use PDE in parallel (in some cases). This therapy shows positive dynamics from 65% to 70% of all cases. Side effects from this therapy were extremely rare. Naturally, we considered a non-surgical method of treatment. And the reduction of the ovaries in size with this therapy suggests that the operation is often not in a hurry. Know that fur licking can be addictive. This process causes the release of endorphins (natural morphine-like substance) into the blood. This causes a natural "high" that can be addictive. The cat will resort to licking to calm down. For example, if she was homeless and brought to a new home, that's a lot of stress. Reduce your cat's stress to help her kick the habit. Let your cat always have plenty of water, food, a place to sleep. Give her toys to keep her occupied. It is essential that there are places in the house where the cat can hide when frightened or stressed. Synthetic pheromones, such as Feliway, are sprayed into the air and allow the cat to feel calm. This fragrance is soothing to the cat because it interprets it as something safe. They are usually sold as a spray that can be sprayed on the cat's litter or as a diffuser that helps spread a "smell of safety" throughout the house.