Why is my cat losing hair on one side of her mouth after new food?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Calli could certainly be allergic to some component of her food, causing her licking and hair loss. Cats most commonly develop allergies to the protein source of the food, but other allergies to fleas or environmental factors, or infectious issues like ringworm or mange can all cause similar signs. With excessive licking and scratching, skin infections can develop, which only serve to worsen itching and scratching. At this point, your best bet is to take Calli to the vet to rule out signs of a skin infection, ringworm or mange, as these would require a different course of action. If these issues have been excluded, you next need to assure that Calli is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Advantage, Revolution or Bravecto) regularly. If you want to try a diet trial to determine if food allergies are occurring, you can choose either a prescription based hydrolyzed hypoallergenic diet or a novel protein diet (such as Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet, choosing a new protein source like venison or rabbit). To change Calli's diet, mix the old and new foods together over 5-7 days. After that time, exclusively feed the new food without adding other treats or table foods. It can take at least 6-8 weeks to see the full effect of a diet trial. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Hi there! If all else has been ruled out, then the itchy skin and hair loss around the neck and face could be caused by a food allergy. Food allergies are commonly caused by an allergy to a protein in the food such as chicken or beef. I would recommend a food trail or food allergy testing. The itching can lead to a secondary bacterial infection. I would discuss with your veterinarian about conducting a food trial or doing allergy testing (requiring a blood test). Bobby Jack may need antibiotics for the skin infection as well. I hope this helps and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like a superficial skin infection. It does not look serious at this stage. Sometimes this happens randomly, somteimes it is due to a bad tooth. The saliva has bacteria in it that gets on the skin and can cause this infection. The vet needs to check her entire mouth. Don't bother trying to clean it at this stage. Just let the vet look at it first.

While it is hard to say exactly what the cause of Bella's hair loss may be due to without examining Bella first, I can offer some possibilities and next steps. Some possibilities may include a fungal infection, bacterial infection, mites, a food or environmental allergy, or evidence of an underlying endocrine disorder such as a thyroid problem. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and some blood work. I would recommend Bella visit her vet soon to have the possibilities above ruled out so she can get the most appropriate treatment.

It could be due to food allergy but it is more likely to be due to fleas. treat her for fleas first with a high quality spot on such as Advantage and see if it solves the problem. if not try to switch her back to her previous food.

Hair loss and overgrooming can be a sign of external parasites like fleas, a food allergy (although this is less likely at Greta's age), or an environmental allergy. Some cats can also overgroom as a reaction to pain or due to anxiety. I would recommend having Greta examined by your veterinarian to rule out fleas and discuss a potential allergy work up. I would not recommend changing her food until you talk to your vet - diet is the cornerstone of managing chronic kidney disease, and there are hypoallergenic kidney diets available if your veterinarian thinks Greta may have a food allergy.