OT: Any Vets? Quick kitty question.EDITED.

[buddyleebaby]

I noticed both the kittens have bald spots from their eyes to their ears. Is this just from them constantly licking each other or do they have some weird skin disease? They're still in the process of getting all their shots.
Any ideas or what this could be? TIA!
ETA: They've already had three visits to the vet. We go back every three weks for more shots. They were fine on all prior visits, but since we bring them to the shelter where my sis works, I wouldn't be suprised if they caught something disgusting.
Does Ringworm cause bald spots in general or in that exact area?

[jillmk]

Hi! My 8 year old kitty doesn't have bald spots, but the fur has always been very, very thin between the eyes and ears, and very thick everywhere else including the "forehead."

[Momof3Labs]

Are they completely bald or just thinning hair? My cat has thinner fur in front of his ears.

I'd have the vet check them for skin diseases - some yucky ones can cause bald spots, and it sounds like they are new to you (may have brought something home with them).

[Rachels]

Ringworm can cause that. It's worth getting them checked just in case.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
New baby coming in October!
(Holy smokes, it's a boy!!!)


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

[tbriese]

cats will have a pattern baldness to varying degrees between the eyes and ears. it is more noticable in some cats especially black cats in my opinion/experience. if the baldness is symmetrical on both sides and both kittens have it then it is probably normal. however, it is not uncommon to see kittens with ringworm and it can cause lesions anywhere on the body (it isn't specific to the region between the eyes and ears). it typically causes hairloss with crusts on the skin. the lesions are frequently circular but not always. other possibilities are fleas, demodex mites, and ear mites. most other skin diseases are much less common or at least much less common in cats that age.


with kids in the house, i would probably have the kittens rechecked as ringworm is a zoonotic disease (transmissible to humans). if this cat came to my practice and i was worried, i would do an ear mite swab if there was any debris in the ears, a skin scape, and a fungal culture and probably start treatment for ringworm pending the culture results.

[pritchettzoo]

One of my cats scratched himself bald there with a bad case of fleas once.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

[mudder17]

One of our cats came to us with ringworm, and fortunately none of our other cats got it, but I, the pregnant woman, got it on my stomach, and then later, on my boob (warm, humid area) when my milk came in. Fortunately, no one else has ever gotten it and it hasn't reappeared on the cats. But it's a real pain to get rid of, so I would definitely get it checked out.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[buddyleebaby]

Thank you so much!
It does not sound like ringworm. The spots are symmetrical and both kittens have them. They are not crusty or circular, just two lines from above the eyes to the base of the ear.
I checked them both for flea dirt. They have not been scratching their ears so I don't think they have mites. Also they are both indoor cats.
One cat is a dark striped tabby with a lighter face, the other is dark gray. The spots are much more noticable on the gray cat. She also has much finer fur.
We have a vet appointment early next week so I will have them checked out then, but it the meantime I am much more at ease.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I know little about cats though I have two...and they both have less hair in that spot. I wonder if scratching and maybe a sort of ear mite or so...

I'm pulling at straws on that one but wondered...


Neve
Reichen (6), Karsh (3), Tristan (2) and baby girl Bronwyn born March 10th!!!!