Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Cat losing fur on belly.

Species: Cat
Breed: DLH- female spayed
Age: 8-11 years
Over the past month my eldest cat has lost a lot of her fur on her belly and back legs. The skin is in perfect condition, no scales, dryness or rash. She is not grooming herself more than normal. She seems completely unfazed by the condition, is in no distress at all. She is fairly high strung as a rule, will care a toy around and cry like she has a dead kitten. There have been no changes in her life recently.

Any ideas what could be causing this?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks so much for your question!

I see this kind of thing quite often, actually. I don't usually get too worried about this type of hair loss in a cat as long as there is no itchiness or lesions at all.

By far the most common reason for a cat to have hair loss in these areas is from overgrooming. We usually attribute overgrooming to "stress" but it is often hard to determine what is causing the stress.

Most of the time we don't do much in the way of treatment. However, if it is getting excessive then you can talk to your vet about prescribing a medication called amitryptiline which can help reduce anxiety levels.

There are other conditions that can cause hair loss such as a parasite called demodex, allergies and more. As always, if concerned it's best to have your vet take a look. But, likely this is nothing to be worried about.

Hope all is well!

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Thank you for your advice. Chloe completely melts down when I take her to the vet, so I might wait a bit till her annual comes around in May. As I said, she doesn't seem anxious at all, except for her Medea moments. I will be content with my poodle cat for the time being.

Thank you for donating your time to support this cause. I wish the Toronto Humane Society was trustworthy enough to support.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome and I think it is just fine to wait till Chloe's annual visit to have her checked out.

Thank you for supporting the Ottawa Humane Society by asking your question! Spread the word about what we are doing as the more questions we get, the more money we can raise!

Dr. Marie.



Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Scrubbing Bubbles toxic? My Toulouse is a male. I discovered one day that after I would exit the shower &... (27937 views)

Dog ate chicken bones. PLese help me! My 8 year old American Golden just ate cooked chicken bones! What... (151343 views)

Vomiting and diarrhea with blood. Our family pet has been vomitting all day and there seemed to be blood in it and... (13353 views)

Bad breath in dog. My dog is 12 yrs old and has very bad breath. I lost my husband 21/2 yrs ago and I... (20962 views)

Frontline and Revolution safe for pregnant dogs. Dr. Marie my poor yorkie is pregnet and she got flees from my sisters new dog what... (51168 views)

Cat eating less than normal. My cat Noir hasn't been feeling well for about 5 days now. He is a 3 year old,... (89992 views)

Pregnant 10 month old dog. my mini doberman is 10 months and shes pregnant can she die? and how many dogs can... (16896 views)

Hip dysplasia and arthritis. Hello, My dog Jasmine is about 13 & 1/2 years old. We live in New York City. I... (16319 views)

Vet is pushing veterinary foods. I have a new to me vet who is insistent on my giving my cats 'veterinary' food. My... (9048 views)

Pemphigus and prednisone. Dear Dr Marie I am from Nepal. It is a developing country with per capita income... (7572 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.