Urgent! Cat Lost Fur on Lips: Possible Causes Explained

After a good night's sleep, you suddenly notice that your cat's mouth has a patch of baldness. Could it be infected with ringworm?

Many cat owners have likely encountered a similar situation: waking up to find that their cat's mouth has a small patch of hair loss, but the cat seems fine, eating, drinking, and playing as usual. What's going on here?

Part 1: Common Causes of Hair Loss Around a Cat's Mouth

There are many reasons why a cat might have hair loss around its mouth, but the most common include:

1. Trauma

2. Folliculitis

3. Ringworm

4. Allergies

Part 2: Solutions for Hair Loss Around a Cat's Mouth

1. Inspect the Skin Condition

● Normal Skin → Keep an Eye on It

If the skin around the hair loss is smooth, without pain or itching (cats won't scratch, and there's no reaction when pressed), and there's no further spread, keep an eye on it for a few days. If the hair grows back, there's no need to worry.

● Abnormal Skin → Seek Immediate Medical Attention

If the hair loss area is red, swollen, painful, itchy, or shows dandruff, scabs, bumps, or blackheads, it's important to see a vet right away to prevent the condition from worsening or the hair loss from spreading.

2. Diagnosing and Treating Ringworm

Ringworm can also cause local hair loss and is quite common. This fungal infection typically leads to itching, hair loss, and increased dandruff in the affected area, forming circular or elliptical ringworm spots. Cats with weakened immunity are more susceptible to infection.

If you suspect ringworm, you can use a Wood's lamp for an initial check. Most cases of ringworm are caused by Microsporum canis, whose metabolic products will show a green fluorescence under the light of a Wood's lamp.

Ringworm treatment methods:

● Apply Pipette Skin Spray topically to inhibit bacterial growth and promote skin repair; the ingredients are gentle and safe for cats to lick.

● Administer Itraconazole orally once daily, 510mg/kg, for one week, then take a break for one week.

● Give Supervitamin (a solution of composite vitamin B) to boost immunity.

——Since the infected area is around the cat's mouth, which is easily licked, it can lead to chronic poisoning, so it's not recommended to apply topical antifungal medications directly.

3. Identifying and Treating Folliculitis

If your cat's bald patch under the chin has many small blackheadlike dots and red bumps, it might be caused by bacterial folliculitis, often due to greasy diets, unclean cat bowls, or damp chins after drinking.

Treatment methods:

● Use physiological saline or chlorhexidine solution to wipe or clean the affected skin, keeping it dry and clean;

● Apply Pipette Skin Spray and Erythromycin Ointment topically twice or three times a day;

● Regularly clean the cat bowl, and avoid using plastic bowls for feeding.

4. Treating Allergic Dermatitis

Cats may be allergic to certain foods, pollen, dust mites, and other substances, causing skin redness, severe itching, and rashes upon contact. Frequent scratching can lead to local hair loss.

If you've recently changed your cat's food, consider whether it might be allergic.

Treatment methods:

● Quickly identify and keep the cat away from allergens;

● Feed Neumeno (Chlorphenamine Maleate Tablets) to help desensitize and relieve itching;

● Apply Pipette Skin Spray and Fuan (Oxide of Zinc Ointment) topically to prevent secondary bacterial infections.

To help your cat recover faster, you can give it some fish oil, lecithin, and a solution of composite vitamin B as nutritional supplements, while also maintaining a clean living environment.