Hair loss and constipation

Question
I have a three year old cat, and he is now losing his hair on his legs, tummy and sides.  He also attempts to use the litter box but nothing comes out.  we use very expensive flea medicine, he has no fleas, and his hair keeps thining.  i don't know what to do.  I just do not want him to be in pain.  I want his hair back and to have him use the bathroom again.

Answer
Hi Kailee,

Unfortunately, he needs to be taken to a vet immediately.  While there are several causes for constipation, the most likely culprit is a urinary tract infection or blockage.  In the case of a blockage, you only have 24-48 hours to unblock the problem before the toxins start to overwhelm your cat and he can die from kidney failure.  This just happened to my spouse's cat, who did have a urinary plug (blockage).  We had to have him anesthetized and unblocked, then rehabilitated which is a long road.  This is from inadequate nutrition which creates crystals which collect with shedding tissues in the ureter to form a plug.  The way to combat this is to feed a good, holistic food.  Don't listen to the vet's mumbo-jumbo about 'urinary diets'; it's all a crock.  After this happened, I researched and compared ingredients for normal commercial diets versus urinary formulations, and the ingredients are almost exactly the same, and beyond that, HALO has 7 more acidifying ingredients in it than the 'specialized urinary diet'.  I have seven cats on HALO--we did NOT follow the vet's instructions to get prescription food, and instead fed him HALO dry and wet with HALO's VitaC supplement as well as cod liver oil and Vitamin E (HALO you can get online or at Petco; the supplements you can get at most any pharmacy such as Walgreens or CVS).  It has been two months and he is in full recovery and doing well.  The only thing we purchased from the vet was a anti-inflammatory pill which we pulled apart and mixed into his wet food twice a day to help his bladder heal and stop the leaking.  I wholeheartedly recommend HALO and will stake my pets' lives on the fact that it is one of the only wholesome and nutritious foods devoid of ingredients that have been proven to shorten the life of your pets.  Please see the articles below for more information.

Urinary Crystals
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2243+2244&aid=2729

The Dangers of Commercial Pet Food
http://www.examiner.com/x-24832-Houston-Pet-Care-and-Behavior-Examiner~y2010m3d1...

Holistic Pet Foods and Natural Pet Products
http://www.examiner.com/x-24832-Houston-Pet-Care-and-Behavior-Examiner~y2010m3d2...

If he is blocked, the hair loss is probably a behavioral reaction to the stress and pain associated with such blockage. It could also be an allergy from the food.  Please take him to a vet immediately.  If you're on a budget, you can call your local animal shelter and ask for some low-cost options.  Banfield in Petsmart also has clinic hours on certain days in which you can take your cat in and not pay an exam fee.  You need to call your local Banfield for exact days and hours.  Good luck, and feel free to update me.

Best regards,
Holly Martin