Cat losing hair
Missy (13mo American Shorthair, neutered female) has always been a playful cat, with a personality all her own. For the past 5-7 days, I've noticed she's losing a lot of hair. I've gone from brushing her 2-3 times a week to twice a day. The amount of hair is probably double than what I usually comb out. Along with the shedding/loss of hair, she has also developed white flakes, like some sort of dry skin problem or dandruff. Her appitite is still the same, although she sleeps more and isn't as playful. Just the other day, I also noticed a sore on the top of her head, just behind the ear. The area is reddened and the hair around the sore is completely gone. I think she's getting another one across from this sore. I'm also finding an abnormal amount of loose hair all over my house. If she passes by a fan or a breeze comes through, the hair just falls off of her. She never goes outside with the exception of the screened-in area at the front door and occasionally in the garage. Any assistance you can offer Missy and myself would greatly be appreciated. |
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Dog with problems walking
When I came home from work yesterday, Sparrow(6yo female neutered mix breed), who stays in my basement with access to the crawl space under the house, was having trouble going up the stairs. She seemed sick - hot nose & depressed. She has a knot midway up her tail about the size of a quarter. Her hindquarters are slightly swollen and tender. Her behind was dirty with dust, some fecal matter, and little black dots that looked like flea eggs (she doesn't have fleas - she's on med from the vet.) It seemed she had been dragging her bottom on the ground. My gut feeling is that she may have been bitten by a spider or god forbid a snake (in my basement?!!) but I'm also worried that she's hurt her back. She can still walk - even jump on the bed - but she is not moving correctly. She is still eating and drinking. She's not any worse this morning, but no better. She's not limping, but she acts stiff - is not moving her hind legs with ease, but I don't see where they look out of whack. For example, when she goes up steps, she just goes one step at a time, very slowly and carefully when she usually bounds & skips steps. It doesn't look like she's knuckling over, and her feet and legs look normal. Another thought after babying her this morning - she has had trouble in the past with her anal glands being blocked. Usually I try to massage & expel them when I bathe her. I haven't noticed her dragging her butt, which usually happens when her glands are filled and need expelling, but is it possible this could be the problem? Or constipation?
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