Excessive Grooming and Loss of Full Mane

by Kerry
(NJ)

We got Shadow a few years ago from a lady who passed on. Very skittery but now is much better.

Constant grooming 60%+ of the time. Some pulling of hair clumps at times. Still a full cat - but his mane is not what is should be for sure.

I think it's gotten shorter since we've had him.

Tested for everything - Indoor cat - no fleas or mites - we give medicine for that anyway to make sure - No change.

Tested for allergies (what a project that was!) and finally came up with lots of em - including fish, chicken etc.. so we limited the diet to what was said to be ok. Still no change.

Four vets have seen him to no avail. First one gave two successive steroid shots. That seemed to help a bit - but was advised not to do that, as it's really not good for him.

He's 25 lbs of his own cat and not easy to handle.

Still looking for new ideas to get his fur to thicken up around the mane area. He's about the cleanest cat I've ever owned. Any ideas are welcome. thanks

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Cat Losing Hair & Dry Skin

I have a male Maine Coon named Erabous, who is almost 2yrs old.

He has been licking and gnawing a lot but the area I'm worried about is around his neck and head.

His fur around his neck is very short and dusty, flaky maybe even.

He is a beautiful black smoke without a mane. He has an appointment this Thursday, but I thought I would see if there were any suggestions.

I want to bathe him real good with a flea shampoo but the breeder I got him from doesn't believe in bathing them so I have been hesitant, plus I'm not looking forward to being scratched up.

Reply:
Hi there,
I'm sorry to hear that Erabous has been so uncomfortable!

My first thought is that it's a good thing you will be going to the vet in a few days, because this is definitely something that requires professional care.

You didn't mention if Erabous has fleas, and I wouldn't consider bathing him with flea products unless he definitely does.

Also, bathing him at this point, or alleviating the area may make it harder for the vet to see what's actually going on.

Dry, flaky skin does happen in cats. Common causes of cat dandruff include a low-fat diet, low humidity (dry air) in the winter, a buildup of the undercoat, or external parasites such as fleas, lice, and/or mites.

More concerning causes include infections, allergies, hormonal conditions or illnesses.

A cat will tend to groom a bothersome area which can just make it more irritated and lead to an unfortunate cycle.

I haven't personally dealt with this before, but our community members may share their experiences, which is always helpful while you wait for your vet appointment!

Best wishes to Erabous. I hope he feels better soon. Please come back here and update us if you can!

~Carrie


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Have you dealt with dry skin, over-grooming, or cat dandruff?
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