What causes outdoor cats to lose hair in patches to bare skin?

Question

We have two outdoor cats that are losing their hair in patches all the way down to bare skin. We were wondering what could be causing this. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | 8 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Poor Crookshanks (great name!) and his friend! The most common causes of patchy hair loss are from contagious infectious conditions, such as ringworm or mange. Both ringworm and Sarcoptic mange can be transmitted to other animals and humans. I recommend taking both cats to the vet for exams and fungal cultures (to rule out ringworm) and skin scrapes (to rule out the mites causing mange). From there, the vet will be able to determine the best medications for the problem at hand. Also make sure that both cats are receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Advantage or Revolution) monthly to prevent any skin issues due to fleas. I hope that all goes well!

What causes outdoor cats to lose hair in patches to bare skin?

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