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Cat losing hair on nose (Why and what to do)

Cats lick their noses for various reasons, and it is up to you to figure out why they are licking so much.

My first thought is a runny nose from allergies or a cold. A cat licking its nose until the hair is gone could point to an underlying health issue. It is up to your vet and you to figure out why.

Why Is My Cat Losing Hair On Its Noise? 

Your cat can lose hair on its nose as much as you can lose the hair on your head. While you probably do not lick your nose constantly, you can do a great deal of blowing and wiping if you have allergies or a nasty cold. Your nose can become sore and red.

The top reason causing your cat to lose hair on its nose may be an allergy of sorts. The diagnosis of allergies is one of the hardest things to diagnose.

While a human can have allergy skin tests to determine their allergy, they still may not find a definitive allergen. A cat is not as fortunate.

Trying to determine allergies in a cat or human is often done by ruling everything else out first.

If everything else is negative, the doctor will undoubtedly say the problem is allergies. It is frustrating to pin down any specific allergy, and the doctor will treat the allergy without knowing its source.

It is not unusual for a cat to shed hair. Cats and humans do this every day. They grow more hair when winter comes and when spring rolls around, this excess hair naturally begins to shed.

However, if your cat begins to shed massive amounts of hair, there is undoubtedly an underlying health problem.

When your cat begins to itch, scratch, and lick its body, removing patches of hair, the problem could be allergies or the food you feed it. Cats are ordinarily big-time groomers. Cats lick their bodies constantly.

However, licking can get out of control, and when the cat’s body begins to look like a patchwork quilt, you need vet intervention.

Cats usually sleep up to 18 hours per day. Their awake time amounts to about six hours, half of which is spent licking the fur and grooming the body. If your cat would rather sit and lick itself than play or go on a hunt, it may have an underlying health concern.

The cat can develop sores on its skin when licking becomes too much of a problem. If these sores worsen, they may become infected. Cats can lose their fur by licking it off, and it is time to do something.

Vets find that two issues are causing a cat to lose hair on their noses. One is a congenital skin condition, and the other is the side effects of an allergen. An allergen is challenging to identify for cats and people.

Most times, the allergen is found through a matter of deduction.

Finding an allergen is frustrating and takes time. Cats, like people, can be allergic to anything in the environment or to something they eat. The possibilities are varied if your cat is losing the hair on its nose.

  • An Illness
  • Anxiety and stress can make your cat compulsively lick to the point of licking all the fur off and causing sores and possible infection. If your cat is high-strung, this may cause its loss of hair.
  • Diet
  • Nervousness
  • Parasites take the form of fleas, mites, ticks, or lice. The treatment for these parasites is a quick and easy fix.
  • Fleas
  • Worms such as ringworm are mistaken for worms when this is a fungal infection and is another possibility. Again, the treatment is quick and easy through your vet.
  • Pain may cause your cat to lick its nose and anywhere else on the body. If your cat is arthritic or in pain for some other reason, speak to your vet.
  • Cold symptoms cause a cat to constantly lick its nose, eventually thinning the hair across its nose.

I have noticed through the years that my cats must get a cold at least once a year. Symptoms of a runny nose, a stuffy nose, and a lot of sneezing cause my cats to lick, lick, lick their little noses to the point that the hair becomes absent.

I know that when I get a terrible cold with a runny nose, my nose gets sore and red from blowing and rubbing it. Cats are no different.

  • Genes in some cats cause the cat to have hair loss on the nose. Examples are the Bengals and the Himalayans. The Sphynx cat is naturally hairless.

The following health issues can cause a cat to lose hair on the nose, although this is rare.

  • Diabetes
  • Overactive Thyroid
  • Cancer

What To Do If My Cat Is Losing Hair On The Nose?

If your cat is losing hair on its nose, the first step is to take your cat for a wellness check. The vet may be able to pinpoint why this is happening. Your vet may want a blood draw (not painful for the cat). You must do some investigative work regarding what is going on with your cat.

It is wise to make sure your cat has at least one blood draw as a baseline. If your cat becomes ill and needs a blood panel drawn, the vet has initial lab values to compare it to.

A wellness exam every year for your cat is as important. Sometimes this wellness exam reveals possible and potential health problems that your vet can provide preventative care for.

A flea prevention program such as Revolution Plus kills fleas, flea larvae, ticks, heartworm, and all other types of worms except tapeworm. Tapeworms must be treated by your vet with a dewormer.

If your cat goes outside any time, giving it a monthly dewormer is good practice. Speak to your vet about worm prevention.

At the first sign of a cold, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and chest congestion, I pay my doctor a visit because I am susceptible to bronchitis and pneumonia. Cats are no different.

At the first sign of my cat sneezing, licking its nose, coughing, wheezing or having a runny nose, I get my cat to the vet as soon as possible. Cats are susceptible, like some humans, to getting bronchitis or pneumonia quickly.

The vet may give your cat a long-acting antibiotic shot and other treatment. Your vet may ask you to give your cat an antibiotic at home every day for a week or so. This is dependent on what diagnosis your vet gives your cat.

If it is a question of anxiety and your cat is a nervous Nelly, your vet may want you to give it a calming agent daily. Feliway is also a great product to try for nervous and anxious cats.

There is little you can do at home until your vet diagnoses your cat why it is licking the hair off its nose. Treatment is dependent on this diagnosis. It is up to your vet as to what you can do.