cat fur loss around ears

[JoanHicksonMIfive]

Nine year old. What could be causing this?

Have you noticed any scratching at all, Joan ? (I'm thinking ear mites or fleas.)

It could be fleas. The dammed expensive flea treatment isn't working very well. It was given a few weeks ago. What other brands are any good? When can we next treat?

Ringworm?

Due a worming we left a gap as it's a bit much to treat for all at once. Should we give the worming treatment now?

I would say, as above, fleas, ear-mites (but then you would see scratching) or ringworm. I don't think it really looks like ringworm, but then I'm finding it hard to work out what's what in that photo.

You can certainly flea and worm at the same time, and you should flea treat every four weeks ideally. Advantage, Stronghold, Broadline or Advocate are all good. Frontline not so much.

Oh, I didn't mean roundworm or actual worms.

Ringworm's a fungal infection of the skin. Misleading name isn't it.

Ah, I hadn't realised that's why the OP was talking about worming. Duh - of course. No, ringworm has nothing to do with worms. It's fungal as Rubbish says. A vet can generally diagnose with a uv light, but to confirm samples of hair are generally sent to a lab.

It's not particularly dangerous but it is ridiculously contagious and a bugger to get rid of. It normally presents in circular patches of hair loss - often on the ears and feet, but it could be anywhere.