Cat losing hair on his ears.

[MrsCatE]

My large 5 year old neutered indoor Tom started losing hair on his right ear - only a small patch. Today, a mirror image has appeared on his left ear. Neither are sore or lumpy and I haven't noticed any excessive scratching. No ear mites or fleas. I thought perhaps fungal like ringworm but how could he have caught it? He's a nightmare to take to the vet - extremely aggressive and not a popular patient. Any ideas fellow cat people?

I was thinking ringworm too. Ringworm is extremely easy to catch. You can have brought it in yourself on your shoes (I think - I'm not that much of an expert on this, but I do know that it is extremely contagious),

If you have a black light you can see if it glows purple. If it does then it's definitely ringworm, but if it doesn't then that doesn't mean it isn't.

Thanks. I'll keep an eye on and tell MrCat to be careful. My cat loves rolling about begging to be stroked by his feet. He doesn't care for me so less chance of being infected!

This can happen by direct contact with an already infected animal, or by exposure to items that are shared between your cats and which could attract contaminated hairs or particles of skin, such as bedding, grooming brushes and combs, or even your furniture and carpets. The fungal spores are very resistant, and without any treatment they can remain infectious for up to two years, attaching themselves to the skin or hair, and although it is not always the case, it does seem to be more common in younger cats that may have less efficient immune systems.

What does it look like?
The signs vary especially if the spores are lying dormant, as they are not visible to the naked eye. Some cats display signs of serious dermatitis, and some show no visible symptoms at all to begin with, although the most common signs are small circular lesions causing an inflamed, scaly patch, usually about the size of a 1p coin, with the surrounding hair appearing damaged. The most commonly affected areas are the head, ears or paws, although these could also be an indication of other feline skin diseases such as a flea or other pest-related allergy, dermatitis triggered by something else, or possibly feline acne. If you do suspect that your cat may have ringworm, you should take sensible precautions until you know either way - don't let any of your cats go outdoors (to avoid causing a local epidemic) and ensure that none of your human household has contact with anyone else who has pets. Ideally, you should not have direct contact with any other people until you have had it confirmed either way, as it is so highly contagious.

If you want a definitive way to diagnose ringworm without having to take him to the vet, you need to pluck some fur from just next to the bald spot (you need a reasonable amount, with the roots) and get the vets to send it to be analysed. (It will cost a bit). If it is ringworm it should be treated. Discuss it with the vet first though. They might insist on doing the plucking themselves, although I can't think of a good reason why they would.

....copied from a pet website. I actually caught Ringworm myself, years ago, from a cat. It was on my scalp.

Oh lordie. Many thanks. Looked up and doesn't have any other indicators apart from bald spots. Many thanks all. He's an evil bugger and unfortunately, vet takes it as a personal affront to his manhood that he can't manhandle the beast - he always comes off worse - but distressing for all so hope to keep visits to annual check up only.

Thanks again.