Hormone Therapy and Feline Hair Loss

From LoveToKnow Cats

About Hormone Therapy and Feline Hair Loss

Visitor Question

Bald cat

My four-year-old female cat Dottie has a hormonal allergy. That's all the vet told me except that she would need a monthly shot for the rest of her life. She is itchy all over and gets many scabs and has hair loss. It looks a lot like scabies.

Are there any natural remedies to help her? She's quite stressed most of the time, very jumpy. I cannot afford the monthly vet trip for a shot. The poor thing is miserable but we love each other and I want to keep her. Please help if you can.

Thanks,

Jill

Expert Reply

Hi Jill,

So sorry to hear about Dottie's hair loss. Since your vet didn't give you a lot of information, let me give it a try.

Hormones are regulated by a chemical commonly referred to as Cortisol. As cats age, their bodies naturally begin to produce less hormones. When levels are low enough, the body tries to boost production of the hormones, but then production of Cortisol is lowered as the body redirects its energy. This is when the trouble begins.

The shots your vet prescribed are necessary to help your cat's hormonal system remain in balance and able to fight off immune reactions that produce the typical allergy symptoms.

There are a few things you can do to support the Corticosteroid therapy.

  • Fatty acid supplementation may help your cat's skin irritation.
  • Try feeding your cat a diet that is specifically formulated for pets with allergies.
  • Try to avoid exposing your cat to any of its known allergens. For this, you'd have to ask your vet what your cat tested allergic to.
  • Make every effort to lessen the stress in her environment. Stress further inhibits her body's ability to deal with the allergens.

I'm sorry I couldn't give you better news. There doesn't seem to be a way to cure severe allergies. All we can do is try to manage them to make our cats as comfortable as possible.

Thanks for your question.

Kelly



 


Comments

Hi Cheyenne,

I'm so sorry your cat has gone through all of this. Your cat likely would have developed the tumor anyway. It sounds like he has some hormonal issues and those are thought to cause some types of tumors.

I am not sure at this point if I would put him on more steroids with all the problems he has had. As long as he is eating normally and seems otherwise healthy, it almost seems that the hair loss is just a minor annoyance, especially since the hair loss is temporary in nature.

Have you tried switching his food? He may have some severe food allergies causing some of these issues too. Many owners find if they switch to a very high quality cat food that the issues clear up. Look for a high protein source with no fillers and no additives or as few as possible.

Also, I would go ahead and start looking for a vet that either specializes in felines or in adrenal issues. It never hurts to get another opinion. Hope your cat feels better soon.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My cat losses hair in spots about once every 3 months. They have been treating him with steroid shots. I took him to a new vet for a new perspective, and he said my at had a tumor that had to come out. He takes it pout and tells me it was a reaction to the steroid shot. 3 days after the surgery, my cat develops sores all along his spine. Big, gaping sores. Vet says it is from how he was laying during surgery. That all the blood pooled to one side. A friend of mine said they burned the cat. Still not sure what is true. but a year later the spots are still on his back, just much less severe. Old vet wants to start my cat on hormone shots. A series of two, and then one pill once a week. DOes anyone know what this is all about? Maybe someone can shed some light on this situation for me please!!

-- Contributed by: Cheyenne

Hi our black female cat Cassie has fur loss above the right eye, it has started to spread upwards as well. At the moment she constantly cries and is not eating as much as normal. We recently had a dog but has now gone could this be due to stress as she didn´t like the dog around and should I take to the vets for this to be checked over? Thanks Kim

  • Hi Kim,

I really think this is worth having your vet take a look at. The hair loss could have been caused by excessive head rubbing due to stress, but there are many causes for fur loss, and your cat may need medication to stop the hair loss from advancing. Either way, it's better to be sure of what's going on.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: kim wells
> See All Comments on this article    


Comment on Hormone Therapy and Feline Hair Los...



(Displayed with your comment)                        (Will not be displayed)
Verification Code:   
    

Cats Categories
LoveToKnow Tools
More Articles