Symptoms of cat skin problems
There are some signs that indicate that you should take your feline to a vet, as it may suffer from a medical condition:
** constant scratching or licking more often than usual
** excessive chewing the skin
** licking (more than the cat normally does)
** redness or rashes
** bald patches or hair loss on different parts of the body
** flaking
** scaling
** inflammation or irritated skin
** crusts
These symptoms can lead to diagnosis linked to parasites, severe allergies or dangerous shin infections.
Correct diagnosis
It is very important to establish correctly what kind of skin problems your cat has, in order to find the right treatment for it. The vet will ask a few questions about the medical history, the symptoms and behavior, and then he will perform a detailed physical examination. Finally, he will carry out some diagnostic tests to be sure about the nature of the skin problem your cat has.
These tests are extremely helpful to check for mites, parasites or bacteria and they evaluate the cats overall health:
** microscope examination of hair, skin scraping or cells
** tape tests
** Biopsy
** Allergy tests
** Blood tests
** Sensitivity tests
Only after the results of these tests come up, the vet will be able to establish the exact problem, the causes and the right treatment.
Causes for cat skin problems
It is most likely that investigations might reveal one of the causes listed below:
a) Fungal infections can be very contagious even for people and they usually affect areas on the head, ears or paws.
b) External parasites like flees, mites or lice
c) Allergies to food (beef, milk, corn etc.), to seasonal changes (common allergens from trees, mold and grass), to grooming products or even to flees and some of the flea-control products.
d) Common infections
e) Tumors
f) Stress reactions
Treatment for cat skin problems
Depending on the diagnosis and the causes that lead to the skin problem, the vet will decide which treatment is going to be more efficient. For parasites, the common treatment includes shampoos and sprays; for irritations and allergies the vet will prescribe antihistamines and corticosteroids and, of course, a hypoallergenic diet. Infections are to be treated with antibiotic or antifungal medications. In order to keep your pet's skin healthy, it is very important for it to have a balanced diet; once in a while, fatty acid supplements can be added to the diet of your cat - they are good for the skin and overall health. If not properly treated, cat skin problems can become dangerous for the health of your pet, so it is advisable to ask for the professional opinion of your vet and carefully follow the treatment prescribed.
