My cat is losing hair on its back in a straight line. What can I do?

Question

My cat,male 6 years started loosing hair on the top back hindquaters 1 week ago. loss of hair is in a stright line. will not have money until 4/3/17/please help me. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 6 years old | 10 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Poor Buddy! Hair loss can have a number of underlying causes, including fleas/flea allergies, food allergies, environmental allergies, ringworm, mange, or even traumatic events like burns. Treatment will be determined by the underlying cause. Ultimately, Buddy should be examined by his vet to check for ringworm, mange (caused by mites), fleas, or signs of a skin infection as a result of itching. Until you are able to take Buddy to his vet, closely examine his fur (mostly around the tail base and head/neck areas) for the presence of live fleas or flea dirt. Flea dirt resembles flecks of pepper that turns reddish-brown when moistened with water on a white paper towel. Regardless of whether or not you see fleas, administer a high quality flea preventative, such as Advantage, once a month. Some fleas are good at hiding in the coat, and if Buddy is allergic to fleas, only one flea bite could make him itchy and cause hair loss. If you see signs of fleas, give Buddy a Capstar (available at most pet stores) to kill live fleas in 30 minutes. If you do see signs of fleas, make sure you wash his bedding in hot water and vacuum every day or two. Aside from flea control, there is not much else you will be able to try at home without determining the underlying cause of Buddy's hair loss.

My cat is losing hair on its back in a straight line. What can I do?

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