Yellow hard bald spot on stray

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YouraveragecatLover

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Today I found out it was a scab.When I came back the scab was hanging there,just there.I took it off and cleaned her with alcohol and a small clean rag to prevent infection.I'm still scared and want to take her to the vet but I know my parents won't let me
 

fionasmom

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From my experience, ringworm does not form a scab of the kind you might get if you skinned your knee.

The clearest and most common clinical signs of feline ringworm include the following: circular areas of hair loss, broken and stubbly hair, scaling or crusty skin, alterations in hair or skin color, inflamed areas of skin, excessive grooming and scratching, infected claws or nail beds, and dandruff. Cornell Feline Health Center

Scaling and crusty may not describe a scab exactly. If you google pics of ringworm in cats or humans it might help you decide.
 
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YouraveragecatLover

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I mean she does have a few bald spots and the scab that peeled off has an obvious bald spot.
 

fionasmom

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Those could be from various causes. Try to see if you can find a pic that looks similar.
 

fionasmom

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I copied these from earlier posts in this thread as I think that this is still the best advice in place of a vet visit if you can't get to the vet.
The first was about trying to clean the spots. Near the end is the second post about getting an OTC cream for ringworm if that is what it is. Do these cats have flea treatment?

The yellow stuff could be pus from the beginnings of an infection possibly caused by the cat repeatedly scratching herself. The bald spots suggest she is likely itchy and scratching those areas - so, yes a possible allergy, which could be from most any source such as food, environment/seasonal, and/or litter if she uses a litter box. Irritated skin can also weep when healing, but the color of that is more clear in nature. Any recent changes in food, weather, or the area where she lives/hangs out?

You could send a pic to the vet and ask about it, but I am guessing they would suggest you bring her in to see them for a closer look. Otherwise, check all the other spots to see if they also have this yellow-ish stuff, and at a minimum clean any of them that do with at least warm water, and then use an anti-bacterial/anti-microbial spray (specifically for cats) on them for a few days to see if they improve. When using a spray, it is better to spray the solution on a cotton ball or soft cloth and use that to apply to the spots rather than actually trying to spray it on them. Plain Neosporin ointment could be used, but you would have to ensure most of it is absorbed into the skin so that she if she would try to lick it off she wouldn't be able to ingest enough to harm her.

If it doesn't get better or spreads, I don't think you will have much of a choice other than to try to take her to a vet. It might be that they would want to take a skin scraping (sounds much worse than it actually is) to analyze for possible causes.

It kind of looks like ringworm :/. For mild cases, my vet recommends getting some Lamisil (or whatever OTC brand of antifungal---don't use anything with tea tree oil though!) and rubbing it into the spots twice a day. If it gets worse you'll need prescription meds. Also wash your hands a lot after touching her because it's contagious.
 
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