Cat with Skin Issues and Hair Loss

crouseman41 wrote:
Thanks for the responses. The cat was adopted as a kitten from a shelter. She has never had fleas and is a strictly indoor cat. She had feline acne as a kitten, but it is now much worse. Her ears appear to have some type of infection (cat shakes her head and scratches) and the tissue looks somewhat inflamed. She has been tested for ear mites. The area underneath the base of her tail is about an inch where she has licked the hair away - this is a recent occurrence. Her vet has declined to do blood work, saying it was not necessary. The cat's coat looks healthy and her eyes are clear with no discharge. She has no cough and her appetite is good. This cat is very dear to my sister and she is at her wit's end trying to find relief for the cat. Any thoughts are appreciated. Dr. Doug, any experience with these conditions?

I had cats with fleas and your story is similar to mine. I guess every time I was 'lucky' to take a pet with issues. Once these fleas were causing my kitty dry skin and inflammation... Then I had a similar episode with the oldest cat, but after applying some flea control tips and with what I experienced already and quickly took care of it.