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Your vet will examine your cat and ask you about their symptoms. To begin with, they will rule out some of the most common causes (i.e. fleas), but if your cat doesn’t improve with treatment, they may suggest tests such as: A food exclusion diet; Skin scrapes; Hair plucks; Skin swabs; Blood tests.
- Parasites. Both indoor and outdoor cats can pick up parasites, but the risk is higher for cats that venture outside. Parasites can live on a cat’s skin for a while and cause a wide range of symptoms.
- Allergies. The most common allergy in cats is an allergy to flea bites. You won’t often see the bite itself but will see either the skin’s allergic reaction to the bite, or your cat showing discomfort (hair loss, chewing on fur, or making the skin sore through overgrooming).
- Infections. Bacterial infections in cats are normally the result of a bite, wound or underlying skin disease such as an allergy. Therefore, the signs may be more related to the underlying process but more severe, or there may be scabs, sores, or redness on the skin.
- Ringworm. Ringworm is a common and highly contagious fungal infection of the surface of the skin, hair or nails. It’s not caused by a worm and it’s not always ring-shaped despite its name.
Sep 19, 2024 · Causes can include injuries, wounds, parasites, infections, and allergies. A cat’s gender, breed, and general habits can have a profound effect on the condition of their skin.
- Why Do Cats Experience Skin Problems?
- What Causes Cat Skin Problems?
- What Are The Signs of Skin Disease?
- How Does A Veterinarian Tackle A Skin Problem in Cats?
- Treatment Options For Skin Disease in Cats
- Medication For Skin Disease in Cats
There are many different reasons for cat skin conditions, but the most common course of events is that something irritates the skin, causing inflammation of the cat’s skin(so-called “dermatitis”). Inflammation is defined as redness, soreness (itchiness), heat, swelling, and loss of normal function: all of these features are seen in dermatitis. Rega...
There are seven common causes of feline skin disease (and there are other, less common causes too). 1. Flea bites: flea infestations are the most common cause of skin disease, even when you cannot see any fleas on the cat. Around 70% of itchy catsreferred to skin specialists are completely cured simply by instigating a thorough flea control program...
The five main signs that owners may notice when a cat has a skin problem are: 1. In conditions that cause itchy skin, the most obvious sign is thecat scratching or licking themselves due to itchiness. This may just appear to be excessive grooming, or over-grooming at first. This behavior often makes a mild condition far worse, as excessive scratchi...
Physical Examination
Any investigation of any problem in a cat starts with a careful, thorough physical exam of your pet. A cat with a skin condition may have other signs of ill health, and it’s important to rule out other underlying diseases. It’s also important to note the precise location of any affected areas of skin, and to examine the precise type of changes in the skin and the fur. Sometimes it’s possible to visually identifythe cause of the skin problem (e.g. fleas or harvest mites). Your veterinarian may...
Woods Lamp Examination
A Woods lamp (ultraviolet light)may be used to check for the presence of fluorescence which may indicate the presence of ringworm.
Skin Scrapings And Hair Plucks
A hair pluck may be collected and skin scraping may be taken (using the edge of a scalpel blade). These will be examined in the laboratory (either in-house, or sent to an external laboratory) to check for causes of the skin problem (e.g. some parasites, ringworm etc).
To deal with skin problems, a two-pronged approach is often needed: 1. Give medicationto initially stop the inflammation, so that self-trauma stops, giving the skin a chance to heal. 2. Identify and remove the underlying causeof the inflammation so that the problem does not recur. Treatment for feline skin disease depends on the cause of the proble...
As noted above, several different causes of skin disease in cats (especially skin allergies) may require the use of medication. The most common treatments include: 1. Anti-inflammatory medication. This may be given as tablets (e.g. prednisolone), oral liquids (e.g. cyclosporines), or depot injections (which last 3 – 4 weeks). These are prescription...
In many cases, the cause of skin disease in cats may be communicable to other cats (and, in some cases, to people), so preventing transmission to other animals or humans is often an important component of a treatment plan.
Treatment of Skin Disorders in Cats. Successful treatment of a skin disorder requires identification of the underlying cause. Not surprisingly, many treatments for skin diseases are applied directly to the skin surface (topically).
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How is feline skin disease treated?
In cats, the skin becomes extremely fragile. Treatment of all these conditions depends on identifying and treating the underlying disease. The earlier in the disease process your veterinarian can examine your cat, the more rapidly a diagnosis may be obtained and an outcome predicted for the animal. Also see professional content regarding ...
