Our cat is a big boy. You might say that he is too big since he weighs 16 pounds. He is now 11 years old, and while he hasn’t been seen by a vet in a few years, he has had no health issues. He never leaves our ground-floor apartment home and is visited at the windows by neighbors and their pets daily.
Starting about four weeks ago, he developed a small scab on his back between his shoulders. We didn’t think much of it but after my husband and I went away for a week, we returned to see the area enlarged to the point where there was a fair-sized patch of skin exposed where hair had been lost and the scab was larger, there were even two.
What could have been the cause of this and is there anything that we can do to treat it at home? We will schedule him to be seen but wonder if there is anything we can do until we can get him in since there are no appointments available for over a month.
My first inclination would be, as you might expect, to suggest that you have him seen by a veterinarian who can properly diagnose the skin condition, but you have that already planned. Do follow up on that because if the cat has not been seen in several years, a thorough health check is in order and he probably is also in need of a few vaccines, that for rabies being a legal requirement. At 16 pounds, your cat is invariably overweight and should probably be on a diet to lose at least 5 pounds. There are risks associated with being that heavy including diabetes, heart disease and more.
As to the skin condition between the shoulder blades, it sounds as if it could be either an autoimmune or stress-induced dermatitis. The fact that you were leaving and went for a vacation may have triggered the situation. Treatment might include topical medication or systemic corticosteroids. There are other possible causes including ectoparasites, a bug bite that itched and caused him to scratch the area to the point where the scab and hair loss developed, and more. A good physical examination will be diagnostic and then specific appropriate treatment can be started.
Until then, you can likely be safe to apply something like Neosporin to the lesion area twice daily. Presumably he cannot get at it and lick it. Don’t plan on scheduling the appointment but do it right away. It’s in his best interest all around. Lastly, if the lesion gets any worse and starts to get raw and bleeding, you can always take him in for an emergency visit. Good luck.
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