[JungleKitty]

When we first got Luxy a year ago we noticed that after the first week we had her she had a small patch of fur missing from her neck. It wasn't anything drastic and went away within a week. Six months later the small bald patch has appeared again. I also noticed that there are more small bald patches on the backs of her back legs. She shows no signs of illness so I am just thinking that she just has dry, itchy skin. Is this something to be concerned about? Luxy also has feline luekemia. The vet told is that the test showed up a very faint positive and that she will live a long happy life. Could this missing fur be from the luekemia?

 

[drjean]

small bald patch...

Hi! Is this the same Luxy that's getting a Boston Terrier puppy? (There can't be too many by that name!)

It's possible that this is just dry skin, especially at this time of year, but the location of the patches also reminds me of an autoimmune disease called "Eosinophilic Placque" (a fancy name for rodent ulcers, which aren't always on the lips). You might want to have your vet take a skin scraping and check for the characteristic cells, as well as ruling out other nasties like mites and ringworm.

I've had pretty good luck solving both dry skin and rodent ulcers with a good diet, Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E. Get Vit E capsules, 100-400 IU per day (just the regular human kind from the health food store is fine). Most cats will lick it off your finger if you poke the capsule with a pin and squirt it out; or in the food. You can also apply it directly to the patches, but watch to make sure she doesn't get carried away with licking it off and create a worse problem. Both Vitamin E and Omega-3 supplements will help support her immune system, too--important for an FELV kitty. For a free, detailed list of supplements and dosages: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... atsanddogs

I know I'll open up a can of worms here, but I have to tell you, my definition of "good diet" does not include dry food. Why not? See http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... cannedfood

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[JungleKitty]

Thanks!

Thanks for your advice! I happen to have some Omega Three supplements (I also take them) rarin' to go
And yes, this is the same Luxy who is getting a Boston Terrier...and I guess Luxy is an unusual name for a kitty. I actually named her after a character in a movie called 'The Virgin Suicides'. It's based on a book. Lux is the main character and is played by Kirstin Dunst. It wasn't a very popular film in the whole blockbuster sort of way ( I guess it didn't have enough explosions... :lol: ) but I thought it was a wonderful (well, it's actually kind of depressing ) and original screenplay. It was a very different role for Kirstin Dunst and I commend her for taking a chance in the movie world.
Okay...I've bored everyone to death so I'll just end this reply
Thanks again...I shall give you an update on Ms. Luxy. :wink:
Oh yeah...LUX is also a brand name of soap. I am full of useless information :lol: