Why are my senior cat's white paws brown and she's licking bald spots?

Question

Hi, I have an old cat (about 12 or 13 years old). She is grey with white paws and a white chest and face. Her paws, which have always been a vibrant white, have recently started to turn an almost dirty looking brown. It looks like she went digging around in the dirt. At first we thought it was blood but it has been getting more and more brown and she is showing no signs of any open wounds. She also has a balding spot on her neck where she licks extensively and she can no longer clean her bottom. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thank you for posting your question! Judging from your description, it sounds like Sunshine has been licking her paws causing the hair to change color. The balding spot could be due to several causes. Have you recently changed the type of litter? Due to the feet being one of the main areas she is licking, this could be due to a contact allergy. If she is strictly indoors, I would suspect this to be related to the litter or carpet cleaner in regards to allergies. Another possibility is arthritis. Sunshine is an older cat and as animals age, the joints become arthritic with time. She may be licking her paws and the back of her neck due to arthritis. For both allergies and arthritis, omega-3 fish oil is a great product and Welactin for cats is something that I would recommend. If you would like to try Benadryl first to see if that improves Sunshine's symptoms, you can administer 1/2 tablet of a 25mg Adult Benadryl. If there is no improvement, then I would suggest scheduling an appointment with Sunshine's veterinarian to discuss this further. Please feel free to contact me in regards to any further questions / concerns you may have!

Why are my senior cat's white paws brown and she's licking bald spots?

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