Ask a PetDoc: Kitten with hair loss, dog with red sore on hip

Written by Jonathan Baker

Question: Kitten with hair loss, dog with red sore on hip

Dr. Jim,

Hi, we just got a new kitten (about 6 months old). She appears to be a Russian Blue mix. We have had her about a month. We just noticed that she has some hair loss on her nose. It doesn’t look like she has a bald spot but more like she rubbed it off even though we had not noticed her doing any excessive grooming to her nose. We had also noticed she has a couple of little scabs where she appears to have scratched herself in attempts to get to fleas or something of that sort on the back of her neck. She doesn’t have fleas from what we can tell. We haven’t treated her for them but we do treat our dog and haven’t noticed any around the house.

In addition we noticed tonight our dog, about five years old and a border collie/chow mix, has a red sore on his right hip. It looks like he has been biting at it as the hair on the sore is gone but only on that area and no where else. He gets regular flea treatments with over the counter medication that he has been using for quite some time.

I am not sure that either of these are related or just coincidental but should I be worried about either of their ailments? Is there something I should be giving them to help clear these things up? They are both on regular dry food diets. She gets a kitten/cat formula and he gets the same dry food he has been getting since he was a puppy. Neither get table scraps whatsoever.

Thanks,
Summer

Dr. Jim says:

Summer,

If you are using plastic feeding bowls that could be the cause of the problem with the kitten’s nose. Plastics give off plasticizers that can cause irritation. If you are using plastic, change the food and water bowls to glazed ceramic or stainless steel. The little scabs on the neck could be due to a collar, if you make her wear one or insect bites or even irritation from plants that she may come in contact with. Just because you don’t see fleas, don’t rule them out. To see if she or your dog have come in contact with fleas stand them, one at a time, on damp paper towels and brush them vigorously. If you see any reddish or pinkish spots develop on the towels that indicates flea dirt (digested blood) and they should then be treated along with the environment for fleas. Be sure that your pets are kept away from insecticide-treated areas for at least a couple of days. It may require treatment of the yard as well as inside the house. There are some relatively non-toxic materials that can be used in the house.

The sore on your dog’s right hip area sounds like it is the result of an insect or spider bite. Use the hydrocortisone cream by putting some of the cream on a cotton swab then apply to the lesion. Be sure to check the crimped end of the tube to make sure that the active ingredient has not expired. If the cream stops the desire to itch/scratch continue it for a couple of days then switch to a triple antibiotic ointment for several days. Repeat the antibiotic if needed until the wound heals.

As for the diets I always suggest using nationally available brand name products as they are most likely to meet the nutritional needs for your pets.

Dr. James Sokolowski, DVM, PhD is a veterinarian with 40 years in the pet industry. He has appeared extensively on radio and TV including CNN, Fox, ABC and other national and local radio and TV programs. Dr. Sokolowski is a recipent of veterinary professional awards for his contributions to the veterinary profession. Read his full bio here.

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