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Hi, I need advice for some good supplements or something else for skin and hair,my cat's fur looks fine but is very thin,he doesn't have his usual winter coat (all my cats are with very big winter coats,only his hair is not enough), since some days he scratches his body a lot and today I found little bald spot on his tail,I use Salmon fish oil but it doesn't help much,the only hair supplement that helps him content only liver and glucose, and I don't know if it's safe for daily long use, thanks.

Hi, I need advice for some good supplements or something else for skin and hair,my cat's fur looks fine but is very thin,he doesn't have his usual winter coat (all my cats are with very big winter coats,only his hair is not enough), since some days he scratches his body a lot and today I found little bald spot on his tail,I use Salmon fish oil but it doesn't help much,the only hair supplement that helps him content only liver and glucose, and I don't know if it's safe for daily long use, thanks.

Updated On November 3rd, 2018

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 6 years and 6 months old

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

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Thanks for using PetCoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Salmon oil is a great choice. I think though that the primary condition needs to be treated for this to get better. So if this is due to allergies, these have to be addressed for it to improve. Supplements in this scenario can only help if the primary condition is being treated. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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