Hårtab hos katte

Many people suffer from hair loss, but few know balding is also common in cats. From flea bites and hormonal imbalances to chronic over-grooming, a host of underlying causes can lead to your cat’s retreating hairline. Hair loss can be a symptom of more serious problems in cats, too, but fortunately treatments exist for most of its root causes.
 
Known as alopecia, balding can be either partial or total in our feline friends. The skin underneath your cat’s receding hairline may look normal or it could show signs of irritation such as redness, bumps, scabs and lesions. With so many variations, it can be hard to diagnose the underlying cause of your cat’s alopecia—especially given the host of potential problems. Some pets are allergic to flea bites, for example, while others lose their coats due to parasites that cause mange or fungal issues such as ringworm. Hormonal imbalances such as hyperthyroidism or increased levels of steroids can play a role in feline balding, and alopecia may also be a sign of a behavioral problem if anxiety is causing your pet to over-groom. Older cats diagnosed with cancer often lose their hair, too, and some cats, like people, simply go bald due to genetics. Whatever the cause of your cat losing his coat, it’s important to identify the problem. Small, red spots usually suggest allergies, while thinning patches of fur on your cat’s tail end can indicate a reaction to mange or fleas. Ringworm, on the other hand, can leave your cat with smaller, red circles with a white center. Whatever the source, most underlying causes of hair loss also cause our pets to itch and scratch, which can lead to more serious infections.
 
Få hjælp fra din dyrlæge, hvis det er nødvendigt, til at diagnosticere din kat. Han kan tage blodprøver for at afgøre, om Kittys skaldethed skyldes hormonelle ubalancer eller ubalancer i skjoldbruskkirtlen, eller tage en hudprøve for at afgøre, om din kat mister sin pels på grund af dermatologiske problemer. For at udelukke kræft eller abnormiteter i binyrerne kan din dyrlæge bruge røntgenbilleder og ultralydsscanninger. Afhængigt af diagnosen kan din kat have brug for et nyt loppemiddel, medicin eller lokal behandling for at lindre sine symptomer. Andre mulige løsninger inkluderer at ændre din kats kost eller endda prøve et nyt vaskemiddel, rengøringsprodukter eller andre husholdningsprodukter for at udelukke allergier som kilde til dit kæledyrs problemer. Hvis din kats hårtab skyldes et adfærdsproblem, bør du arbejde på at reducere dens stressniveau og muligvis søge hjælp hos en adfærdsspecialist.
 
Selvom der ikke findes sikre metoder til at forhindre hårtab hos katte, kan det at holde øje med dit kæledyr hjælpe med at afhjælpe symptomerne, før de bliver værre. Hvis du bemærker, at din kat kradser ét område mere end resten, skal du være opmærksom på det område og søge dyrlægehjælp, hvis det er nødvendigt. Du kan også give midlertidig lindring af kløe med ordinerede topiske behandlinger, samtidig med at du kommer til bunds i din kats hårtabsproblemer.