Patches Of Fur Just Fell Out - Alarmed (photo)

[kalico]

My 16 y/o gal has CHF and is on lasix, benazapril, and diltiazem. She's lost a lot of weight and her fur isn't as healthy as it used to be, but as I was petting her just now I was alarmed when patches fell away in my hand. Upon closer inspection I found this this:

Of course I'll contact my vet as early as possible tomorrow but I'm alarmed and there's no way I'm going to sleep anytime soon. Anyone experienced this? She didn't stop purring when I combed around the area and hasn't been bothered by it. I do noticed she can get sensitive around her lower back but she'd always been like this.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hello, K kalico - I'm so sorry your kitty is going through this. What part of her body exactly does the photo show? Is her breathing still doing poorly, even on the meds? I'm trying to catch up on your other threads, and boy, is she a beautiful cat -- (hugs) to you both. Hoping all is as well as can be...

 

[kalico]

Thank you for your kind message <3. These patches are close to her tail along her spine. Vet opens soon - I'm going to give them a call.

Her new "baseline" breathing is still laboured and I keep on top of with 3 lasix injections a day, but it's far better than when she wasn't on meds.

All of our pets are beautiful

 

[Kieka]

That's usually what I see when a scab drops off. With cats, the scab pulls out the fur that was in the area as well. It still deserves a vet check to figure out why there were scabs.

 

[kalico]

Vet said as there’s no open sore there’s no issue. My guess is she scraped her back at some point because she’s skin and bones (no more fat for cushion).

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Did the vet want to take skin scrapings to test for any bacterial or fungal issues? If the cat has really compromised health and immune system, she could be more susceptible to such things. If she is itchy or in pain there, even just slightly, from a bacterial issue --or even fleas, another source of bacteria/parasites-- that could cause her to try to groom more in that area along her back. My last (indoor only) cat was very immune-compromised and, unfortunately, fleas took hold as we had had a very hot summer during her last year of life. Her frequent visits to the cat vet also allowed some fleas and flea eggs to sadly hitch a ride back to our apartment. It made our older cat miserable and we had to work carefully to eradicate them without over-dosing her already very medicated system with flea meds (Revolution worked, thankfully).

 

[kalico]

Good to know, thank you. Nope, vet didn't take any scrapings, he did not seem concerned. I do trust him.

 

[Kieka]

Good to know, thank you. Nope, vet didn't take any scrapings, he did not seem concerned. I do trust him.

It looks like healed skin from the photos. Here is a bug bite healing on my boy over a week (the vet shaved the area to get a better look at it and pulled off the Dead skin). Yours looks closer to the second row photos. View media item 398180

 

[walli]

something I learned recently, cats purr when they are in pain.
Not saying your kitty is in pain, and I hope her fur gets better and she puts
some weight back on!!

 

[kalico]

something I learned recently, cats purr when they are in pain.
Not saying your kitty is in pain, and I hope her fur gets better and she puts
some weight back on!!

I know, it's such a distressing thought! She was purring because I brought out her favourite blanket though, so I think it was content purring
She isn't going to get better, unfortunately - she's still losing weight (very slowly) due to CHF so my endgame is making sure she's comfortable.

 

[di and bob]

It's most likely a scrape like you said, but watch for allergies from food or medications. stay with one kind of food for a while and see if she develops anything else. It could be bug bites, scrapes from a rough playing housemate, so many things, but as long as she doesn't develop more you should be OK. There are many ointments out there, for cats, that may help speed the healing process and make her feel a little better, you can get them at pet store or farm and ranch centers. I'll keep that sweet girl in my thoughts and prayers, healing vibes sent her way!