Skin Problem

[Mel]

Hi everyone. Hope you can help. My cat has a small bald patch between his ear and eye for the past two weeks. The skin was red and a little inflamed, so I made a trip to the vet. She told me she did not know what it was. She did a skin scraping which came back negative. She put the satellite dish (collar) on him and had me treat it with miconazole used for fungal infections three times a day. He is still wearing the collar (which I hate) and although the skin is back to it's normal color the hair has not really grown back. If I take the collar off of him to give him a break, of course the first thing he is going to do is clean himself and the bald spot which in turn makes it a little red again. The trip to the vet cost $150 for her to tell me she didn't know what it was, and I'm not sure if I should take the collar off of him yet. Has anyone had this problem? My cat is 6 years old and my other cat shows no signs of any problems. I don't know if this could be an allergy or just a rash that needs cotinual treatment. Both of my cats are indoor cats. How fast does a cat's hair grow back and should I seek another opinion.

[Sara]

I am having some skin problems with him and although not solved yet I am working on it. I will post the progress. Vest will not wear a collar and I worry about the stress of putting one on him. The sores are not horrible or weeping or infected, just sore and red. He scratches them and licks them. Let me know what you find out.

[Traci]

The skin scrape wasn't enough. A culture can be done on this, ask your vet about it.

As for the fur growing back, expect this to take some time, longer than two weeks, I would expect at least 4 weeks.

Take the e-collar off, monitor him, and if he scratches it severely or other areas break out that are similar, then opt for a culture, and discuss possible allergen concerns with your vet. If you're not comfortable with your vet or her level of skill, don't hesitate to seek a second opinion.

Chances are, this could have been a mild irritation from a scratch or even an insect bite, or of similar nature. But, if it persists or that it worsens, or if other areas develop, don't hesitate to opt for further diagnostics.