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My cat's neck is itchy with fur loss & red sores. What can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Longhair | Female | 7 years and 2 months old

If a cat keeps itching at their neck and causes the fur to go and theirs a red sore. What can I do we are self isolating. she’s had the issue come and go for years apparently we have only had her for several months and noticed it.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on March 19th, 2020

Those spots on Bella could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for cats, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day with a hypoallergenic baby wipe (not her whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at all times. You can also treat her for fleas. The only OTC I recommend is Frontline. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 10th, 2018

    I am sorry to hear about your niece's dog! These lesions could be from a variety of causes, ranging from bacterial/fungal infection, allergies, eosinophilic granuloma complex, an auto-immune disorder, or skin mites. I would recommend she bring Bella into the vet for examination. They can take a closer look and may recommend some testing such as skin scrapes and cytology. In the meantime if she uses any plastic bowls switch to metal and clean them with soap daily in case she could have some allergy to the plastics in her dish. She can also wash the skin of the area with a chlorhexidine wash such as Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) or Duoxo chlorhexidine products (available online).

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