There are a number of dermatological diseases in cats that can affect the skin and make it necessary to take them to the vet, and here we’ll cover the most common ones in our clinical practice: external parasites, allergies and abscesses.
There are a number of dermatological diseases in cats that can affect the skin and make it necessary to take them to the vet, and here we’ll cover the most common ones in our clinical practice: external parasites, allergies and abscesses.
As the largest organ in our body and of our pets, the skin is an extremely important organ, regulating temperature, preventing dehydration and acting as a protective barrier against external aggressions.
The skin is made up of four main components: the epidermis (the outermost layer), the dermis (just below the epidermis, which acts as a support layer and “feeds” the epidermis, it’s in this layer that the blood vessels, hair roots, etc are located), the subcutis (below the epidermis and comprising the muscles and fatty tissue of the skin) and, finally, various appendages such as the hairs, claws, sebaceous and sweat glands and the erector muscles.
The most common dermatological diseases in cats
External parasites
When it comes to external parasites, the most common are ear mites and fleas. Ear mites are common in kittens – they show a lot of discomfort in their ears by shaking their heads, scratching their ears with their paws and can even self-traumatise.
Diagnosis is relatively easy through microscopic observation of the mites after cytology, and treatment will always involve cleaning the ears and applying an external dewormer whose effect covers these parasites. Fleas, on the other hand, can affect cats at any stage of their life and are more common in cats that have access to the outdoors or live with dogs.
The main complaint of these cats is intense itching, and there may be self-trauma, hair pulling, etc. The main treatment for these cats is external deworming, either with a pipette or with external deworming tablets.
If the cat in question is allergic to flea bites, it may develop allergic dermatitis and, in these cases, it may be necessary to clean the area of dermatitis and, in more extreme cases, even give oral treatment to treat secondary infections and reduce itching.
Allergies
There are two main groups of allergies: food allergies and environmental allergies. I know it doesn’t seem to make sense to include food allergies in this field, but often these allergies manifest themselves through skin problems and many allergies are controlled by food.
When you have a cat that is completely dewormed, remains itchy and responds to oral cortisone medication, then you have to think about allergies. The most common source of food allergies is protein, particularly chicken protein, as it is one of the most commonly used.
So, in order to diagnose these cats, we should do what’s known as an exclusion test – choose a hypoallergenic ration and feed the cat for 6 to 8 weeks exclusively with this food (with the reminder that some cats may be allergic to hypoallergenic sertans).
These diets have a special formula in which the protein is not “internalised” but “broken down” into its basic constituents – the amino acids. If the itching decreases and the lesions disappear, we can do a provocation test, returning to the previous diet, but the most likely thing is that this cat will have to eat hypoallergenic food all its life.
Environmental allergies also respond to this type of food, but you first need to know what the cat is allergic to – dust mites, pollen, etc. – There are blood tests that can be done for this purpose, or intradermal tests – you should discuss which option is best for your cat with your vet.
Abscesses
Last but not least, we’re talking about abscesses – abscesses are accumulations of pus between the layers of the skin and can have various origins. In the case of cats with access to the outdoors or in multi-cat households, it’s common for abscesses to originate from bites or scratches.
Two other common sources of abscesses are anal glands and teeth. The basic treatment for abscesses always involves cleaning, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. However, depending on the source, the reaction to treatment and the depth of the abscess, surgical treatment may be necessary with surgical cleaning, removal of the gland or tooth in question.
These are the three most common dermatological diseases in cats in our clinical practice. Depending on where you are in the world, these problems can change, so if your cat is suffering from excessive itching you should always consult a veterinary surgeon.
Vet.Point – Oeiras Veterinary Clinic
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