Diabetic Cat Hair Loss

My cat is 14 years old and was diagnosed last April with diabetes. She receives 6 units of Lantus q 12 hours. Last year she had an IV and her hair never grew back where they shaved her leg. Recently, she is having hair loss on her chest. She has a habit of laying in front of/against her water bowl. Could this be the cause of her hair loss? She has a little patch that is dark gray on her skin that almost looks like dry skin. She gets very stressed when I take her to the vet so I don't want to take her if it is not necessary. Do you know what this could be and if it sounds like I should take her in for a visit?

Thank you for your help!!


Cats with endocrine disease can have hair loss as one of their symptoms. However, discolored skin is often the result of salivary staining, which occurs from excessive grooming behaviors. Cats may groom themselves excessively as the result of an allergy or, if your kitty is laying against the water bowl and getting her chest wet, it could be in response to the wetness.

I would assume that you are seeing your veterinarian regularly to keep track of your kitty's blood glucose while she is on insulin, so I would recommend having your veterinarian take a look at the hair loss. I wouldn't deem it an emergency, but at your next visit to follow-up on her diabetes care, the hair loss should be addressed as well.

All the best,
Dr. Neely