Why isn't my senior cat's hair growing or shedding after prednisone?

I'm glad pickle seems to be recovered from her initial illness. Many times shaved hair doesn't always grow back at the same texture it was before or may grow in thinner. Discuss with her vet if a fish oil or fatty acid supplement may be ok to add as this may help hair growth. But don't add any supplements without checking with her vet. Some medications can also slow hair growth so that may be part of it. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could still be allergies that are not responding to therapy as expected. Since your veterinarian was able to actually take a look at Sophia, I would believe their diagnosis. It could be that a lack of consistent response to therapy could be that the allergic component is not yet being addressed. Her staying in the litter box is likely due to discomfort which is why re-evaluation at this point is indicated. Your veterinarian could consider referral to a veterinary dermatologist for further recommendations. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the photo there does not appear to be any bald spots, however, it is not a very close up view. Honestly, unless there are bald spots and/or she is scratching the area I would not be too concerned. If the problem persists though (like for a few months) then you should take her to your vet for an exam. Some reasons there could be changes in the hair coat: 1. Diet - the special diet she is eating may be causing some nutrient imbalance. You should talk to your vet about putting her on a supplement for her coat (like fish oils) as this may help. 2. Skin Allergies - even if she has never had any symptoms of allergies before, they can develop over time. If this was the case though, I would expect hair loss and/or scratching, redness of the skin, etc. If you are not seeing any of that then this is not as likely to be the problem. 3. Fleas - again, I would expect hair loss and scratching. If you are not noticing that, then this is also not very likely to be the problem. 4. Stress - even if you don't think your cat is stressed, she could be. Try to see if you could think of anything that could be causing stress like visiting family, stray cats hanging around outside, you got a new pet, new furniture, etc.... 5. Thyroid disease- either a low or high thyroid can cause problems with the hair coat. Your vet can do a blood test to check for this. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

She may have an endocrine disease, such as hypothyroidism (her thyroid gland isn't working right) or Cushing's disease (her adrenal glands are releasing too much cortisol). I would recommend you get her in to a vet so he or she can examine Poutchi; if the vet suspects a problem, he or she will recommend running some blood tests. I hope thats helpful for you! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Given her age, steroid side effects from long term use tend to become less of a risk if the benefits are clearly improving her quality of life. Depending on the nature of the growth, low level chemotherapy medications may provide an opportunity to halt growth or even reduce the mass but this would require assessment by a specialist

If he seems to be losing weight, I would make sure her thyroid level was tested. If so, the skin could be due to an allergy or other skin condition. Thyroid level being high can cause skin and hair changes so I would first get this level checked out. As for the skin, you can use Douxo PS calm shampoo and mousse, both of which can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you are noticing a flea infestation and this is the cause for the excess shedding/over-grooming of her fur, then simple treatment and prevention of the fleas and time will allow for her coat to regrow. It is important, however, to understand how Capstar works. When administering a Capstar, this will kill all the fleas on Jackie and those that re-infest her for 24 hours, after which it is no longer effective. It is important to also follow with a preventative treatment, such as Advantage II, that will then continue to kill and prevent the re-infestation of fleas for one month. This is a topical treatment that is applied between the shoulder blades. Another option would be a Seresto collar, which provides flea prevention for up to 8 months. Remember to also treat the environment where Jackie is located (indoors and outdoors) to add another layer of protection against re-infestation. In some rare cases you may notice minimal or no hair regrowth if significant trauma was caused to the hair follicles due to over-grooming, but in most instances adequate control of the fleas and therefore the itch will allow for hair regrowth with time.