by Heather
(Grand Rapids, MI)

QUESTION

My cat ran away and returned home yesterday skinny with sores on the top of his head and under his chin. The sores are round, small and white. They don't seem to be bothering him eventhough he has lost the fur in these areas. I've been keeping him confined away from the other animals. What could this be?? I have never seen anything like it.




Hi, Heather,

It's hard to determine anything concrete based on your description. If you could give me more details and even send a picture, that would be very helpful.

"Sores" are generally red from irritation. The only round areas that I can think of that might look white would possibly be ringworm which can appear whitish from the scaly skin. Also, feline acne can be whitish because it is basically bumps with pus in them, but they are very small and look like pimples and are not usually found on the head.

Again, a more detailed description and a picture if possible may give me a better idea.

Thank you for writing.
Dr. Neely