Our feline friends nuzzle and rub up against us as a show of affection. If your friend has seemed exceptionally affectionate lately, showering you with rubs against your ankles and nuzzling at your hand for a scratch, you may not be as popular as you think. Your cat may have an ulterior motive. He may be seeking relief from the annoying itchiness that accompanies a skin condition.
Cats commonly develop a number of different skin conditions. Although the underlying cause can be quite different between the various conditions, most have very similar symptoms. You may not be able to identify the exact condition, but knowing the symptoms will alert you that there is a problem. The actual diagnosis can be made with a trip the vet.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
* excessive licking
* excessive chewing on skin
* hair loss
* redness of skin
* inflammation of skin
* vigorous scratching
* rubbing against objects
* scabs
* bald patches
Skin conditions can be the result of a number of different factors. They can be environmental, diet related or the affects of a parasite. These are just a few examples of conditions that can afflict your cat.
FOOD ALLERGIES
This is one of the itchiest skin conditions. Scabs and other signs of itching will be present around the face and neck. Cats eat a variety of processed food protein, fillers and colorings, which are further processed within the body once ingested. These may be identified as foreign invaders by the immune system. The body's defense mechanism of inflammation presents itself on the skin. People mistakenly think this is the result of a recent diet change. Food allergies actually take time to develop. Most cats have been eating the offending food for years, with no problems. treatment usually consists of feeding your cat a hypoallergenic diet for a set amount of time. If the symptoms subside, the original diet is started again for two weeks, to see if itching resumes. If the test diet relieves symptoms and the original diet brings on symptoms, then a food allergy is diagnosed. The cat will return to the hypoallergenic diet or another appropriate diet.
INHALANT ALLERGY
This results from pollen, dander, grass trees and fabrics. Any airborne particle can be the culprit. This allergy is seasonal and your cat at certain times will be symptom free. Development of inhalant allergies usually occur between the ages of one and three. The irritation is mostly facial with signs of hair loss. A rash of tiny scabs may present in other parts of the body. Long acting cortisone injections, given every three months, tend to be the most effective treatment.
CHEYLETIELLA BLAKEI
An infestation of parasitic mites is responsible for this skin condition. Mites live on the cat's skin surface and eggs attach to the hair shaft. A large number of mites can be observed moving on the skin. They resemble flakes of dandruff on your cat. This results in extreme itchiness, inflammation of the skin, crust formations and small swollen spots. The cat will scratch obsessively and shed hair. Skin scrapings and combings will be taken to make a diagnosis. Treatment may include a weekly bath with selenium sulphide shampoo, for five weeks, or dips in pyrethin (insecticide). The cat should be isolated from other animals for three weeks and your house should be treated. This involves a thorough vacuuming and spraying the house with an environmental flea spray.
SOLAR DERMATITIS
A skin disease caused by over exposure to the sun. It mainly develops in cats with white non-pigmented areas. Most commonly it affects the ear flaps, nose and eyelids. In the early stages the skin is pink and scaly with some degree of hair loss. As it progresses the area becomes crusted and eroded. When the ears are affected the cat may shake it's head so forcefully it may cause bleeding from the ear tips. The best treatment is prevention. Keep your cats indoors. If you have an outdoor cat. make sure there is shelter that the cat has access to. Steroids may offer relief from scratching. This can turn to squamous cell carcinoma. A biopsy will need to be done, to determine if it has progressed to cancer. This will involve further treatment. In the case of the ears, complete surgical removal of the ear flaps will be done. If the nose and eyelids are involved, it isn't possible to remove all the diseased tissue. Additional therapy such as radiation will be necessary.
RINGWORM
Ringworm is a fungal skin infection. The fungus invades the hair shafts and creates hair loss. A circular crusty skin rash will be noticeable. Affected areas will develop scaling, crusting and redness. A fungal culture needs to be done to make a proper diagnosis. It can be passed from cats to humans, so precautions must be taken. Treatment involves clipping the coat, topical therapy, oral medication and environmental decontamination.
FLEA ALLERGY
Fleas deposit their saliva into the cat's skin before drawing blood. Even one bite can cause a severe reaction in a flea allergic cat. The cat will scratch intensely and lick and chew excessively at the skin, especially at the base of the tail. Monthly flea preventatives are recommended for your cat and an environmental flea spray for your home. Flea baths may offer immediate relief of itchiness.
NOTOEDRIC MANGE
Mites infest the area around the ears and neck. The presence of the mites causes inflammation, which makes the cat scratch and lose hair. It begins with itchy crusts and scales around the ears. Eventually it will progress to the face and if left untreated will cover the whole body. A microscopic sample of skin scraping will be checked for mites and eggs. Treatment may be dips in a lime sulfur bath or ivermectin injections, weekly for a one month period.
If you suspect your cat has a skin condition, see your veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment plan. In the mean time enjoy all the extra attention from your cat. Even if he's only using you for relief of his itching, it's always nice to be needed.