# Hair Loss On Inner Thighs???



## s_mitters (Feb 16, 2006)

Kitty (single pet household), has had gradual hairloss on his inner thighs.
His fecals come back negative, same for bloodwork.
We had his junior wellness exam somewhat recently and all was well.
We've had all our routine shots same as usual, no reaction then or now.
Gradual hair loss has been ongoing for several months.
He is a constant groomer/licker. 
He does not have fleas, bugs or matted fur and we are not an outside cat.
I have not been around any other animals.
Tuxedo.

Anybody experience this? Why would hairloss occur only on the
inner thighs? Why would he over groom his self only on his inner thighs?
Is it possible he doesn't want fur in that area?

?????

Edited to add;
His diet has not changed at all. 
He eats Science Diet, both canned & dry.
We do feed him boiled chicken, no seasoning or spice.
He drinks water, both tap and bottled.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

s_mitters said:


> He is a constant groomer/licker.


He sounds a little obsessive compulsive. 
Some cats just lick/groom too much, in the absence of other stimuli (allergy, skin condition). Is he a nervous kitty? Perhaps a mood altering drug in a light dose could be discussed with your vet, but if he doesn't have open sores or excessive hairball production, I wouldn't consider it an emergency.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

^^What she said. Some cats are just OCD. They overgroom out of nervousness or anxiety or simply habit after a time. There are some drug therapies that can help. Hormone therapy, or antidepressants have proven effective with this problem. My cat Tyler was a compulsive over groomer to thepoint he had sores all over his skin. We had to try several things before we found something that worked, but ultimately it was a nervous issue with him. Isolating him from the other cats was currative. Not saying thats what you need to do, thats just from my personal experience with my cat.


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## NeverLetGo0429 (Apr 25, 2008)

maybe when he pees he feels wet or dribbles (pardon the imagery) and feels the need to overgroom that area to make it clean. ask the vet to do a urinalysis to make sure he doesnt have an infection or crystals that would cause him to have a urinating problem. also ask then to do a skin scrape to make sure it is not a fungal issue (like ringworm) which can cause redness, irritation and hair loss. also, is he overweight?...maybe his thighs rub together when he walks (just a suggestion  ) to stop his licking obsession try some bitter apple spray in the area. also a first aid product (like a lotion or cream) might help heal the area a bit faster to allow his hair to regrow. try biocaine (i think made by tomlyn (sp) ?) because that one is supposed to discourage licking too. good luck.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

> He eats Science Diet, both canned & dry.


Actually, I would suspect allergies before OCD. Although it could be that too. My cat was on Science Diet for years and started obsessively licking his inner thighs and belly. After a few years of creams, cortizone, hairballs, and being told it was behavioral, I changed is diet. Problem solved! It may not be that easy n your case, but it's sure worth a try. I would get a wet that does not contain corn, glutens, fish (if you can) and chicken and see how he does. And cut out the dry and any treats and snacks (at least temporarily). Change slowly and then, once you're on the new food, give it at least 8 weeks to see any difference. I put my cat on Natural Balance Venison (now Duck) and pea. Once things cleared up, I added Wellness and Prairie to his diet, one at a time, and he did fine. I did also add digestive enzymes as well. If it were my cat, I would try a diet change first. If that doesn't work, then you may be dealing with boredom or OCD if some sort.
Hope that helps.


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