Cat With Bloody Patches Of Hairless Skin! Disease or Injury? **GRAPHIC PICS**

[chooks4life]

Quote: They can be carried by various species so it's safe to say migratory birds could introduce it if it's not already there, which I would doubt. It's been recorded in other countries too. They are very rare, granted.

Strange that you seem not to have heard of blue pigeon lice, but I too dismissed the idea, for far too long.

To the thread starter: my cat also healed up, quite frequently. For years. The huge outbreak only occurred later.

 

[SunnySkies]

They can be carried by various species so it's safe to say migratory birds could introduce it if it's not already there, which I would doubt. It's been recorded in other countries too. They are very rare, granted.

Strange that you seem not to have heard of blue pigeon lice, but I too dismissed the idea, for far too long.

To the thread starter: my cat also healed up, quite frequently. For years. The huge outbreak only occurred later.  

They are not here. Sorry. I'm not being ignorant. But just stating a fact. I asked four other veterinarians, one of whom used to practice overseas and was trained overseas as well, and none of them have ever diagnosed a case here in the US either.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: That's an unproven 'fact'. Five vets does not equal a comprehensive survey. In such a rare parasite, one would expect that even a countrywide survey might fail to turn up a definitive case.

 

[erinszoo]

Quote:

That's an unproven 'fact'. Five vets does not equal a comprehensive survey. In such a rare parasite, one would expect that even a countrywide survey might fail to turn up a definitive case.

Okay, I'll chime in here ... as a veterinary parasitologist who teaches at a veterinary college in the US and has so for over twenty years as well as serving on 5 different zoo boards THERE ARE NO BLUE PIGEON LICE IN THE US. Thank you for playing along.

As to what is wrong with the cat, you've gotten lots of good suggestions. You can always treat them with some Antibacterial ointment (don't use cream). As others have mentioned it looks like allergies to me. Cats can get a form of acne that causes them to get bald spots in the fur too, but this doesn't look like that. I have cats that are allergic to grass and corn and fleas and lose fur at various times of the year because of it. We had to change their food out and try to keep them all inside now. It's just easier than dealing with all the possibilities of allergens and fights and disease for us.

 

[SunnySkies]

Since the question of lice has been raised (but so succinctly answered by erinszoo), here are some more details about lice.

Lice are an uncommon diagnosis in the US. The cases I have seen have all been in puppy mill pups and kittens coming from backyard breeders or as strays.

Only ONE type of lice affects cats, and that is Felicola subrostrata.

I have always diagnosed lice by visual examination. It is that obvious.

Here is more information, with photos. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2794

I also happen to be a veterinarian trained in foreign animal disease detection and eradication, thanks to a career path I had prior to the birth of my first child, so I'm not just any regular veterinarian I know the diseases that are here in the US and the ones that should not be.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Until you've inspected every single bird in the USA, you can't make that statement in good faith.

Most professionals would cringe from such an inherently indefensible generalization. There are many migratory species that travel between our countries, so clearly your statement is only as good as the pixels it's written in.

I'll reserve my opinion on it, regardless of your credentials, because even experts are not infallibly right and clearly this is an area of which you have no experience.

Quote: That is not correct information. While BPL are not specific to the feline species, they do afflict them quite readily, and are nothing like Subrostrata. My cat did not have that.

Blue pigeon lice are quite rare but they do exist, and they do sometimes make the successful transition from their host species to infest cats and dogs, and even more rarely, other animals.

No, they are not that obvious, in fact you can't see the adults since they bury themselves in the flesh; it takes a massive population explosion before you even begin to see the eggs. They're extremely tiny.

Quote: Which brings me back to that point I keep making... Some birds travel quite far, and some carry blue pigeon lice, which obviously despite their name do not just restrict themselves to pigeons; hence, regardless of the credentials and statements to the contrary, there is an undeniable chance BPL are in the USA.

Just because it's not been diagnosed there doesn't mean there is absolutely no chance it is there, or could arrive there... It's strange that I would need to point out that obvious fact to such accredited individuals.

But then again I've heard plenty of automatically wrong generalizations and incorrect statements of fact even from accredited experts who are rightfully held in high esteem, and who are usually right. Even experts make mistakes and no matter how much you know, you don't know it all; it's just the way it is.

Best wishes.

 

[gakwhite]

Fi

...

Hey everyone, Nemo (the cat) has been getting these hairless bloody patches, generally on his head, for a couple months now. Because we have three strays hanging around, we assumed they were injuries. They've always seemed to heal. However, this time it got worse. Maybe hotspots? You can't see it in the pictures, but his chin also has a bloody spot. It's in the exact location of injury from last year that scarred up and looks like it was re-opened. He doesn't uncomfortable in anyway and he can't lick the spots. If it is just an injury, I think we'd put antibiotics on it and take him in if it gets worse (since it doesn't look infected). If it's a sickness, we'd take him NOW because of his and the other pets' safety. Please let me know. I do not want to make a pointless vet trip, but I don't him to make him suffer. [/quote

 

[gakwhite]

First thing I think of is ringworm or hot spots as well. As for ringworm, you can rule this out by taking the cat in a dark room with a black light. (Which r pretty inexpensive to buy) If the area fluoresces then it's ringworm. Other ideas would be to check for fleas. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[SunnySkies]

First thing I think of is ringworm or hot spots as well. As for ringworm, you can rule this out by taking the cat in a dark room with a black light. (Which r pretty inexpensive to buy) If the area fluoresces then it's ringworm. Other ideas would be to check for fleas. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Not all ringworm will flouresce. And if you try this, you have to let the light warm up for about five minutes before looking.

Until you've inspected every single bird in the USA, you can't make that statement in good faith. 

Most professionals would cringe from such an inherently indefensible generalization. There are many migratory species that travel between our countries, so clearly your statement is only as good as the pixels it's written in.

I'll reserve my opinion on it, regardless of your credentials, because even experts are not infallibly right and clearly this is an area of which you have no experience.

That is not correct information. While BPL are not specific to the feline species, they do afflict them quite readily, and are nothing like Subrostrata. My cat did not have that.

Blue pigeon lice are quite rare but they do exist, and they do sometimes make the successful transition from their host species to infest cats and dogs, and even more rarely, other animals.

No, they are not that obvious, in fact you can't see the adults since they bury themselves in the flesh; it takes a massive population explosion before you even begin to see the eggs. They're extremely tiny.

Which brings me back to that point I keep making... Some birds travel quite far, and some carry blue pigeon lice, which obviously despite their name do not just restrict themselves to pigeons; hence, regardless of the credentials and statements to the contrary, there is an undeniable chance BPL are in the USA. 

Just because it's not been diagnosed there doesn't mean there is absolutely no chance it is there, or could arrive there... It's strange that I would need to point out that obvious fact to such accredited individuals.

But then again I've heard plenty of automatically wrong generalizations and incorrect statements of fact even from accredited experts who are rightfully held in high esteem, and who are usually right. Even experts make mistakes and no matter how much you know, you don't know it all; it's just the way it is.

Best wishes.

Well, upon examination of all my veterinary textbooks on parasitology, ZERO mention is made of BLUE pigeon lice. Pigeon lice, sure. But blue...no mention. At all. I will have to contact some Aussie vets and ask them if they have ever heard of this. No American veterinarian has. My colleagues trained overseas have not (India, UK, Europe and Pakistan).

Lice by definition do not bury themselves into tissue.

Argue all you like, but there isn't any parasite by this name on the APHIS list or in any American veterinary textbook. I even looked in a very old parasitology book that covers worldwide diseases in humans and animals as well as Merck's, just to ensure I was not overlooking something, and my notes from veterinary school as well as my foreign animal disease training. No dice . :shrug I'm not going to discuss it further unless you can show me actual studies describing this parasite as well as its scientific name. There are plenty of diseases called by one thing but are something else in reality.

 

[fowl farm]

Thanks for all the advice, people! I think we'll try and get him to the vet this week. I really don't want anything spreading (especially parasites. Yech!) Poor kitty None of our other cats ever got anything like this. Oh, well. Guess you see new things everyday! I'll try and post the diagnosis.