Diabetic cat going bald???

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Charlotte + Dino Baby, Feb 12, 2020.

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  1. Charlotte + Dino Baby

    Charlotte + Dino Baby Member

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    Dec 29, 2019
    Lol, sorry for my alarmist title, but I think my old girl is losing her hair! Her belly and armpits are nearly bare, and I don’t think you could even see the skin before.

    Before she developed diabetes I always bragged that even though she’s long haired she was so meticulous about grooming herself she never had any matting whatsoever. Now I’m cutting little mats out daily! For a while she was so unwell and lethargic she wasn’t grooming herself, but as we work toward regulation she’s back to her old self, grooming away. I’m wondering if she’s just losing so much hair that she can’t keep up?? Has anyone else experienced this?

    I'm about ready to bring her in for a lion’s cut!
     
  2. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

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    Feb 28, 2012
    Is the raw rabbit a relatively recent food? If so, what did she eat before hand? Some cats when switching to raw get a new coat.
     
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  3. Charlotte + Dino Baby

    Charlotte + Dino Baby Member

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    Dec 29, 2019
    She used to eat Ziwi Peak! Not raw, but high quality proteins and low carb. She was never that crazy about it, and I wanted to switch her to something with no legumes and higher calories.

    She LOVES the Stella and Chewy’s and I alternate meals between rabbit and duck. It’s very high calorie 2165kcal/kg without being full of junk so it was a great find to help her gain weight.
     
  4. Charlotte + Dino Baby

    Charlotte + Dino Baby Member

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    Dec 29, 2019
    Sorry, I realized I did a bad job of answering the question! Yes, I switched her to this food right after her diagnosis, about 5 weeks ago.
     
  5. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

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    Feb 28, 2012
    Can you show a picture of her belly. And not just because I love nekkid kitty belly shots! :joyful:
     
  6. Charlotte + Dino Baby

    Charlotte + Dino Baby Member

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    Dec 29, 2019
    it’s honestly the cutest thing on earth
     

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  7. Deb & Wink

    Deb & Wink Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2013
    Are you seeing a lot more dandruff or dry skin with Dino Baby?

    Greasy patches of fur? Try brushing with a natural bristle brush to distribute the oil's from the skin.

    Wink had that dull, lifeless, coat and literally had dime and nickel sized patches of dandruff on his nearly naked sides. Sorry, no pictures to share of when he looked like that. His sides from his shoulders to his hip area had lost about half his hair, so much that you could easily see his skin, thru his 2-3 inch long hair coat. From his hips to his tail was very severely matted, because he could not reach to groom himself he was so sick. Plus he had diabetic neuropathy. (He was a shelter cat. A neglected shelter cat.)

    Is Dino Baby's fur looking shinier and glossier? From the new food?

    Once I started to foster Wink, I noticed he was trying to pluck out some of the matted clumps with his teeth. Tugging at them to get them out. I'd go into his little "isolation chamber" and I find a couple more mats that he had tugged out with his teeth. (separated from my other cats so I could do a slow introduction). I slowly worked on each mat, cutting where needed, gently using a long toothed metal comb with wide spacing between the metal teeth and slowly got the mats out of his fur. He was so grateful.

    Sound familiar with what you are seeing with Dino Baby?

    He grew back his hair and had an absolute magnificent floofy tail, instead of the half naked rat tail when I got him.

    I wanted to share Winks story with you. To reassure you that Dino Baby will grow her fur back too. And be 'extra floofy furred' again.
     
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  8. Charlotte + Dino Baby

    Charlotte + Dino Baby Member

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    Dec 29, 2019
    Thank you! I hope you’re right! Tbh her whole life she’s been known to have greasy days, so the greasy, spiked look she’s got going on is nothing new!

    Luckily she doesn’t mind at all me picking/cutting the mats out. She definitely seems much healthier overall, so hopefully her coat will follow.
     
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