Why is my cat losing fur and overgrooming his inner back thighs?

Question

My cat is have hair loss problems on his inner back thighs. His name is Coltaire and he's three years old. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 5 months old | 13 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

There are a number of reasons that a cat will overgroom themselves, but one of the most common reasons that we will see a cat overgroom the inside or back of the thighs is a flea allergy. If a cat has a flea allergy, it only takes 1 flea bite a week to keep them itchy and cats are such good groomers that you will often never see fleas. So, it is always recommended to have all animals in the house on a monthly flea preventative if any animal in the house has allergies or skin problems. I have attached a handout below on allergies and itching in cats. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2607 If Voltaire is already on a regular flea preventative, the next step would be to have your veterinarian examine him and determine if he has any evidence of secondary bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections. If not, then you can discuss using anti-itching medications such as anti-histamines or steroids short term to resolve the itching and licking. And if those techniques are unsuccessful, then the final step might be a diet change. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Why is my cat losing fur and overgrooming his inner back thighs?

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