Losing Fur

[Animal Freak]

Hello everyone. Today I'm here about Ash(of course) because he seems to be losing quite a bit of fur. I wish I had noticed it earlier and I vaguely did, but I didn't think too much into it. I mean, he loses fur all the time. Just not quite to the same extent. There have been little clumps of fur everywhere. I'll pick up five of these clumps every day. But I really noticed it yesterday when he kept forming these loose knots in his ruff. He got three of them within a matter of hours. I was able to pull them out with barely any force at all. Honestly, I'd hardly even say I pulled them. They came out easily as if they weren't even attached. The third time I gave soft little tugs at his fur just to make sure I got it all and I ended up pulling a few decent sized clumps off of him that hadn't even looked knotted.

However, what made it really strange was that I hadn't noticed any change in the amount of fur I was getting from brushing him. I even brushed him right then to make sure. It was completely normal except I got a clump off of his side which is really unusual. He never gets knots on his sides. It seemed odd that that overall amount of fur was normal, but he's losing these small clumps at random.

I was wondering if anyone had an ideas as to what could be causing this sudden hair loss. He doesn't seem stressed. Him and Ember do tend to have issues, but they've been getting along really well lately. I've seen them play and him groom her. They aren't avoiding each other in the slightest. I haven't noticed any changes in his personality other than that he has been laying on my lap lately which is rare for him. He does have arthritis and he's on glucosamine for it. He's been letting me brush his hindlegs without a problem which is where he's sensitive. He has a history of UTIs, but isn't showing the usual signs of one.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Can you give your vet a call? I think this sounds like it might be something more than a food allergy?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Here is an article on common reasons for hair loss - one of which is hyperthyroidism - which mentions hair coming out in clumps. Which, if this were the diagnosis, is very much treatable.

Cat Hair Loss - What It Might Mean & What You Can Do About It

Even though nothing else much appears amiss with Ash right now, a vet can perform some tests to see if the cause can be identified and a treatment plan put into place before the condition (whatever it is) has a chance to become worse.

 

[Animal Freak]

Hi!
Can you give your vet a call? I think this sounds like it might be something more than a food allergy?

They've been on the same food for a while, so I don't think it's a food allergy either. I can call the vet, but it's hard trying to just talk over the phone. We always miss each other. And I'd really rather avoid a vet appointment if it isn't necessary.

Hi. Here is an article on common reasons for hair loss - one of which is hyperthyroidism - which mentions hair coming out in clumps. Which, if this were the diagnosis, is very much treatable.

Cat Hair Loss - What It Might Mean & What You Can Do About It

Even though nothing else much appears amiss with Ash right now, a vet can perform some tests to see if the cause can be identified and a treatment plan put into place before the condition (whatever it is) has a chance to become worse.

I know we should probably take him to the vet just in case, but he's made it very difficult to keep up with. I realize it's partly our fault for ending up with these animals, but we certainly didn't expect so many health problems in one cat. He already gets a UTI at least once a year and that's not exactly cheap to fix. This year he's been to the vet for his annual UTI and to clean his anal glands, and we've also taken the dog for her anal glands. I really prefer avoiding a vet trip even without the cost. It stresses him out terribly.

 

[Furballsmom]

I know that challenging situation of a cat who hates everything about the vet!
Is he getting canned food? (speaking of the uti, are you claning the litterboxes themselves, and replacing them every now and then?)
Ingredient sensitivities can build up over time and manifest in whatever way, unfortunately.

It might be seasonal? My guy is leaving clumps on the floor, but I'm not able to pull them off of him like you described.

Anyway, I was thinking of a call to try and possibly avoid an actual trip in.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't know how your vet handles things, but I have sent emails/pics to my vet and he has thanked me for getting him details that he can review/assess before calling me back.

 

[Animal Freak]

Yeah, going to the vet really freaks him out. He meows the whole way there and the whole way back and he always curls up on the scale and tries to hide when we're there. And Ember is really sensitive to the change in smell on him, so it gets a bit tense when he gets home and he has to deal with that.

I give him half a 3oz. can of Fancy Feast in the morning and I split half of a 12.5oz. can of American Journey among the three of them in the evening, of which he gets close to half.

Maybe. He gets knots in his ruff fairly commonly and they often come out rather easily, but it's never been this frequently or this easy.

I will try to get in contact with the vet.

 

[Animal Freak]

I don't know how your vet handles things, but I have sent emails/pics to my vet and he has thanked me for getting him details that he can review/assess before calling me back.

Well, we usually just get an appointment. We've only attempted a conversation over the phone once and it didn't work out. We called, let them know of the situation, she called back later, we missed it, and she left a voicemail with her opinion on the matter.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did the vet's opinion help any - or, did you mean that was what happened last time?

 

[Animal Freak]

That's what happened last time. That was about Ash suddenly starting to mount Ember every time she started crying for attention.

I'm thinking about emailing her this time so that way we can just talk when we have the time rather than trying to catch each other.

 

[Kflowers]

Is he pulling the clumps out? If they are wet when you find them, he's pulling them out. Does he have bald spots?

This could be a sign of itching which could be an allergy, or dry skin from the heat being on.

When you say you pulled the clump out it reminded me of when I met a newly rescued chow. Sitting beside him, I found myself pulling clumps of his fur out. It wasn't really attached, he didn't complain, chows aren't shy about complaining. In his case it was losing the heavy coat from being outside only, and now being inside with heat.

Some cats drop/exchange their coats in the fall as well as in the spring.

 

[Animal Freak]

Is he pulling the clumps out? If they are wet when you find them, he's pulling them out. Does he have bald spots?

This could be a sign of itching which could be an allergy, or dry skin from the heat being on.

When you say you pulled the clump out it reminded me of when I met a newly rescued chow. Sitting beside him, I found myself pulling clumps of his fur out. It wasn't really attached, he didn't complain, chows aren't shy about complaining. In his case it was losing the heavy coat from being outside only, and now being inside with heat.

Some cats drop/exchange their coats in the fall as well as in the spring.

No, I think I found a wet spot on him once next to a knot, but not even actually on it. Honestly, it's hardly even a knot. Just a loose clump of fur barely hanging on. He's far from having bald spots, but he has a thick coat. He's a Maine coon look-alike and certainly seems to have the coat of one. Not to mention most of them are coming from his ruff which is quite thick.

I haven't seen him scratching either. Actually, the dog is scratching a lot. I keep forgetting to try some allergy medication for her. But Ash has not been. He grooms quite a bit, but that's normal

I guess it really could be seasonal. The way it's coming out is a bit weird though and it seems way to cold to be losing fur, but it really is only November. The snow has me confused. We're usually lucky to get three inches of snow all winter and we got that and maybe then some in one night.

 

[Kflowers]

Heavily furred cats will bite their mats out. If they are lucky they start on the mats before they are tight.

What you are seeing sounds like mats in the early stages. If you haven't seen one a late stage mat can be as long as your finger and as thick. When that sort of mat is cut free of the hair (cats don't seem to be able to deal with those) there can be several inches of skin trapped under it. These mats frequently form at the inside top of the legs and can make difficult if not impossible for the cat to walk.

That your cat pulls them out, and that you can is a good thing. I've had a coupe of long haired cats who preferred for me to pull the mats out rather than cut them out. I used to think it strange but now realize that those were loser and in the early stages and didn't pull on the skin when removed.

 

[Animal Freak]

Heavily furred cats will bite their mats out. If they are lucky they start on the mats before they are tight.

What you are seeing sounds like mats in the early stages. If you haven't seen one a late stage mat can be as long as your finger and as thick. When that sort of mat is cut free of the hair (cats don't seem to be able to deal with those) there can be several inches of skin trapped under it. These mats frequently form at the inside top of the legs and can make difficult if not impossible for the cat to walk.

That your cat pulls them out, and that you can is a good thing. I've had a coupe of long haired cats who preferred for me to pull the mats out rather than cut them out. I used to think it strange but now realize that those were loser and in the early stages and didn't pull on the skin when removed.

Thanks for the information, but do you know why he'd be getting them constantly like this? I don't recall this ever happening before. They have gotten the thick knots under their legs before that we've had to cut. In fact, Ash had to go to the vet for one that got too bad. He wouldn't let us cut it all out at once, so it just stayed there and kept getting closer to the skin. We thought they'd sedate him, but instead they just used five people to get it out. Now I'm especially careful to keep an eye out for those since he has arthritis and hates his back legs being messed with even more than ever. They do seem to get knots easier now though. I don't know why. Frost used to never get knots and I thought it was just because his fur was so silky, but he's been getting them more often now. Not the same as Ash's though. These come up deep in Frost's ruff or on his chest. It's like they manifest over night and are immediately close to the skin, but never very large.

 

[Kflowers]

I think the clues are in he has arthritis and, with age they are getting knots easier. I think the boys aren't grooming as much as they once did. They may have a bit of arthritis in their spines (Sweet Gum had some in hers before she was a year old and didn't stretch out until we got her on joint care. We use dasuquin but there are others.)

Not grooming as much gives the mats time to start forming. Before they groomed enough that they were swallowing the fur or leaving small bits you vacuumed up without noticing. Are they having few hairballs?

I've also heard it's going to be a cold winter. Sweet Gum is putting extra plush in her winter coat. Maybe they are too.

It's hard to see the early tangles because they are in the under coat, which is finer.

 

[Furballsmom]

If I get a chance, I'll get a picture of the clumps my big guy is leaving on the floor behind him, it's almost a trail of clumps some days lately. Now that you've got this thread going, I don't recall seeing this, --not like this, before with him either.

 

[Animal Freak]

I think the clues are in he has arthritis and, with age they are getting knots easier. I think the boys aren't grooming as much as they once did. They may have a bit of arthritis in their spines (Sweet Gum had some in hers before she was a year old and didn't stretch out until we got her on joint care. We use dasuquin but there are others.)

Not grooming as much gives the mats time to start forming. Before they groomed enough that they were swallowing the fur or leaving small bits you vacuumed up without noticing. Are they having few hairballs?

I've also heard it's going to be a cold winter. Sweet Gum is putting extra plush in her winter coat. Maybe they are too.

It's hard to see the early tangles because they are in the under coat, which is finer.

That would make sense. Frost hasn't shown any signs of being in pain though he is a tad grumpy. I do see them grooming, but I'm not usually around all day to know exactly how much they groom. Ash is on glucosamine for his arthritis and it's helped a lot, but he does seem to have flare ups. The main he has issues with is in his hindlegs and the base of his tail, but for the most part he let's me brush back that. I can tell when it's bad though because he doesn't want me touching back there. I don't think it's really been bad lately since he isn't usually afraid to let me know he doesn't like something, but maybe there is some slight pain?

Ash has anywhere from one to five hairballs in a week. Frost I think has had a total of two in his seven years of life.

Ember and Ash are currently racing through the house like maniacs. I don't think he's feeling too bad.

 

[Animal Freak]

If I get a chance, I'll get a picture of the clumps my big guy is leaving on the floor behind him, it's almost a trail of clumps some days lately. Now that you've got this thread going, I don't recall seeing this, --not like this, before with him either.

That's exactly how it's been feeling with Ash. I can pick up five clumps or so in a day and they seem to be getting bigger!

 

[Furballsmom]

My boy is matting worse these past couple of years, he's 13 now, and I was thinking it's like human hair changing as we age. I'm trying to add more fish oil to his diet, and when I remember to do it fairly consistently, it does seem to be helping

I've read, although I haven't had a chance to try it and I apologize if I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but cornstarch is supposed to help get the hairs to separate more easily.

 

[Animal Freak]

My boy is matting worse these past couple of years, he's 13 now, and I was thinking it's like human hair changing as we age. I'm trying to add more fish oil to his diet, and when I remember to do it fairly consistently, it does seem to be helping

I've read, although I haven't had a chance to try it and I apologize if I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but cornstarch is supposed to help get the hairs to separate more easily.

Fish oil is an interesting idea, but I've read that cats prone to UTIs shouldn't have fish, so I don't know if I should give him that. My boys are only seven, but Ash sure is falling apart like an old man. I know how he feels.

I'll have to keep cornstarch in mind. I try not to let them get bad ones, but it happens.