The Most Common Skin and Skin Diseases in Cats

Skin and skin diseases in cats are frequently encountered. Just like in humans, there are some skin diseases seen in cats. Today, skin diseases are the most common Cat Diseases It is among. In fact, it is known that the rate of going to the vet due to skin problems in cats is around 40%. In order to prevent these very common skin problems and to minimize these problems, you should check your cat's body regularly. In addition, your cat's diet and happiness are equally important for protecting its skin and coat health. Nutrition is very important for both the cat's general health and skin health. In addition, it is of particular importance for cats to stay away from stress and not be affected by external factors.

While cats can generally hide their illnesses, they cannot hide their skin diseases. Since skin and skin diseases in cats are on the cat's skin or fur, many of these diseases can be easily noticed by the cat owner. These diseases usually have some clinical symptoms. Among these symptoms, itching, swelling, redness, swelling, lumps, matted hair, abscess formation, and constant licking of the cat are signs of a possible skin problem. If you notice any differences in your cat's skin or fur, you should immediately go to the veterinarian. Skin diseases in cats is very important and should not be neglected. Skin problems in cats If left untreated, the disease progresses and can cause other problems. In addition, some skin problems can be contagious. You should not neglect veterinary check-ups to protect your cat's health and the health of yourself and your other friends.

Symptoms of Skin and Skin Diseases in Cats

Skin and skin diseases in cats reveals itself in many ways. Skin diseases in cats It is also very easy to monitor the symptoms as they can be observed on the cat's skin and fur.

Some of the common symptoms of skin and skin diseases in cats include:

Itching

A cat's constant scratching is the biggest sign of a skin problem. Intense scratching is observed especially in cases of fleas, lice and ticks. Itching is also observed as a result of food allergies. In addition to scratching itself, the cat also constantly licks and bites the itchy area.

Swellings

These are blisters seen on the cat's body. These swellings, which are seen as skin blisters, are immediately obvious. A biopsy is required to diagnose these blisters and swellings. The causes of skin blisters are generally thought to be skin cancer. However, not every swelling is skin cancer, of course. Many of the swellings are seen as caused by abscesses.

Hair loss

The primary cause of hair loss in cats is lice and fleas. In addition to fleas and lice, hair loss can also occur due to allergies, stress, or fungi. If you observe this type of hair loss in your cat, you should visit your veterinarian.

Sores on the Face or Ears

Sores can appear on cats' faces or ears due to many reasons such as allergies, ear mites, and infections.

Pigment Changes in Feathers

Hair health provides information about a cat's skin health. In particular, dull and oily hair is a sign of a skin problem.

Visible Lumps on the Skin

These lumps can appear in different forms, such as swelling or bulging.

Formations such as redness, flaking, oiliness

Your cat's skin tells us a lot about its general health and especially its skin health. First of all, if your cat's skin is red, flaky and dull, this is a sign of a skin problem.

Common Skin Diseases in Cats

Skin diseases in cats is quite common. The most common skin and skin diseases in cats fleas and ear mites. Apart from fleas and ear mites, it is known that there are many skin diseases seen in cats. Some of these diseases are; cat acne, bacterial infections, yeast infection, fungus, sporotrichosis, allergic dermatitis, hair loss and alopecia. These diseases usually have a negative effect on the immune system.

Skin and blood tests are performed to diagnose skin diseases in cats. According to the tests performed, the skin disease is detected and appropriate treatment methods are applied. The treatment of most skin diseases is quite simple. However, if you discover any skin problems in your cat, you should go to the veterinarian without delay.

Skin Tumors

Skin tumors are known as lumps that form on cats' bodies. Not every lump on your cat's skin may be cancerous. However, any skin tumors you see on your cat should be checked by a veterinarian. It is known that older cats and cats with white ears and heads are especially susceptible to skin cancer. However, cat diagnosed with skin cancer A skin biopsy is required to diagnose the lump. Depending on the results of the biopsy, a definitive diagnosis can be made as to whether the lump is benign or malignant. Tumor in cat's body If it is small, the veterinarian can remove the lump surgically. The only treatment method for skin tumors, especially benign ones, is to remove them from the cat's body.

Ticks and Fleas

Maintaining skin health in cats Treatments against ticks and fleas must be kept up to date. Thanks to treatments carried out to prevent ticks and fleas, fleas that circulate in the cat's blood system and absorb the medicine die. If intense tick and flea conditions are not treated, this can cause serious allergic reactions.

The parasites that enter cats' bodies cause some effects on the skin as a result of their bites. Flea and tick bites cause redness, wounds and hair loss on the skin. If the cat is itching excessively, this is an indication of an allergic reaction. In addition to itching, you may also see small scabs on the cat's body. These scabs are crusts that form due to scratching.

The parasites you will see on your cat's body are more in the environment where the cat lives. Therefore, in addition to parasite treatment, you should also make sure that the cat's environment is thoroughly cleaned. External parasites infecting the cat can cause infections. Parasites that stick to the skin can cause local swelling or lumps on the cat's skin. This is an indication of the cat's reactions to the parasites.

Ear Mites

Ear mites are common in all age groups. diseases that can be seen in cats comes first. One ear mites in cats The most important symptom of ear mites is itching. A cat with ear mites will scratch its ears for long hours. If the mites that cause inflammation in the ears are not treated, the ear mites will progress and cause secondary infections. If these infections are not treated, the condition can lead to hearing loss.

Food Allergy

Food allergy is one of the conditions that cause neck, head and back itching in cats. Food can be among the foods that trigger your cat's allergy. The protein and carbohydrate types in the food the cat eats trigger food allergy. In order to detect food allergy in cats, an elimination diet is recommended. However, you should be careful when applying this diet to your cat. Because cats have high protein requirements. For this reason, they are very easily affected by incorrect diets and can also suffer from serious diseases as a result of incorrect nutrition. For this reason, when you are going to apply any diet to your cat, you should consult your veterinarian and continue this diet under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Environmental Allergies

Cats, like humans, are sensitive to environmental effects and can show allergic reactions by being affected by the environment. In addition to allergens such as dust, grass, and pollen, cleaning materials or detergents are among the things that cause allergic reactions in cats. The most important symptom of whether a cat has an allergy is itching. When a cat is allergic, itchy and scratches itself, irritation occurs on its body due to itching. In order to relieve this irritation, the cat chews the itchy areas. If you observe such an effect and allergy in your cat, you should determine what it is allergic to. In order to detect environmental allergies, you should observe your cat well. You can go to your veterinarian in line with this information.

Cat Acne

Cat acne is the black spots that appear on the cat's chin and under the lip. These acnes that appear in cats can become red and swollen over time. Cat acne can be triggered by environmental allergies and secondary bacterial infections. Acne formation in cats can also be seen due to stress, momentary sadness, nutrition and medication use. In addition, these acnes can be quite itchy in some cases. Special shampoos and acne creams are used to treat acne in cats. However, you should definitely see a veterinarian before using these creams and shampoos.

Scabies

Types of scabies seen in cats It is one of the skin diseases that cannot be seen with the naked eye and must be examined under a microscope. Scabies in cats They live in the skin and hair follicles. For this reason, itching, swelling and hair loss occur on the cat's face, eyelids, back and neck areas. If your cat is constantly scratching, crusting and redness may also be seen due to this scratching. Scabies treatment is easily and quickly done with topical treatment methods. If you suspect that your cat has scabies, the first thing you should do is go to the veterinarian. The disease can be easily treated using the medications given by the veterinarian. In addition, you should clean the materials your cat uses well during this process. In addition to cleaning, you should try to prevent the cat from coming into contact with other animals until the scabies treatment is completed, as other animals can also get scabies.

Bacterial Diseases

Bacterial diseases are conditions that develop as a result of another skin problem. Treatment of bacterial infections is quite simple. These infections are treated with antibiotics. However, treated infections can develop again. Therefore, in order to prevent these infections from developing again, it is necessary to get to the source of bacterial diseases. Treatment of bacterial diseases is done with antibiotics and creams recommended by veterinarians.

Ear Mites

Ear mites are a skin problem, also known as ear mites. Ear mites are the name given to small parasites that live in wax and oils inside a cat's ear. These mites that live in a cat's ears can cause inflammation that can lead to infections in the skin or ear when they feed. The most important symptoms of ear mites include; excessive scratching of the cat's ears, shaking of the head, discharge from the ear and bad odors coming from the ear. Ear mites can be transmitted to other animals. Therefore, if you encounter such a situation, you should take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Topical medications are used in the treatment of the disease. In addition, the sick cat should be kept away from other animals during the treatment phase.

Skin Cancer

Cancer is a serious disease that is common in cats, as it is in humans. If you see new or changing skin spots on your cat's skin, you should consult your veterinarian immediately, as this could be a sign of possible skin cancer. Skin cancer in cats To understand, you should review risky situations and examine your cat's skin closely. However, not every lump seen on cats' skin has to be cancer. However, if you notice a difference or lump on your cat's skin, you should go to your veterinarian. The veterinarian will carry out the necessary treatment after making a definitive diagnosis.

Stress-Related Hair Loss

It is known that cats experience depression and stress very easily. When cats experience stress, this situation is also reflected in their behavior. Stressed cats are unhappy, sleep constantly and groom themselves. The slightest change in their environment can cause the cat to become stressed. In this case, cats constantly groom their fur. The areas where cats clean themselves the most are their backs and necks. Since cats constantly lick their backs and necks, it is likely that the hair in these areas will thin out. Hair loss, which is especially common in the back and neck areas, is called "stress-related alopecia". In order to prevent this situation, you should get support from your veterinarian for stress management.

Abscesses

Cats get injured in various ways throughout their lives. Especially when cats fight with each other, they get cuts, scrapes and bites on their bodies. If cats' wounds are not cleaned well, these areas create a suitable environment for bacteria to settle and reproduce. Bacteria that settle and reproduce in cats' wounds that are not cleaned well cause abscess formation in that area. Abscesses are one of the skin conditions that appear as swollen, pus-filled structures anywhere on a cat. If you see an abscess formation in a cat, you should not touch that area. In order to treat cat abscesses, the area with the abscess should be kept clean and medications recommended by veterinarians should be used. Symptoms such as loss of appetite, weakness and calmness can also be seen in cats with abscesses.

Fungal Infections

Fungal infections in cats are known to be one of the most contagious skin problems. Fungal infections that can be transmitted from cat to cat and from cat to human should be treated as soon as possible. Fungal infections in cats are more easily transmitted to people with weak immune systems and young children. It is quite easy to understand that a cat has a fungal infection. In order to understand the fungal infection, the cat's body should be examined. The skin of a cat with fungus is red, itchy and swollen. In addition to these crusts, hair loss is also observed in the affected area. The fungus remains dormant for about 1 month. Therefore, it is important to always keep your home clean.

Also Read: Fungal Infection Disease and Treatment Methods in Cats

Endocrine Dermatosis

Endocrine dermatosis is a skin problem that occurs on cats due to dandruff, itching, hair loss, dry fur and hormonal problems. Veterinarians examine the symptoms and apply some tests to the cat in order to determine the problem that causes these skin problems. According to the tests applied, the source of the skin problem is found and the cat is treated accordingly.

Breeding Tail (Fat Tail)

Excessive oil causes a waxy substance with a bad odor to form on the upper part of the cat's tail. In addition, the cat's fur is quite oily in these areas and cat acne is likely to occur in these areas. In cases where the stud tail becomes severe, the cat's tail becomes vulnerable to bacterial infections. Specially developed shampoos are used in the treatment of this disease. In addition, the cat's tail should be carefully combed.

Eosinophilic Granuloma

Eosinophilic granuloma is known as a type of allergic reaction that causes sores, lesions, or boils to appear on the cat's nose and mouth. This reaction, known as eosinophilic granuloma, can occur anywhere on the cat's body, but it is most common on the face, paws, and legs. This can be due to food allergies or fleas. The lesions on the cat's body are usually caused by bacterial infections. In order to treat eosinophilic granuloma, the first thing to do is to determine what is causing the reaction. Once the cause of the reaction is determined, the disease can be treated.

How Are Skin Disorders in Cats Diagnosed?

Skin related disorders in cats It is quite easy to diagnose. First of all, since skin-related diseases occur on the skin surface, it will be possible to see many of these conditions with the naked eye. Therefore, you can look at the symptoms below to detect skin-related diseases. Some of the symptoms of skin-related diseases are:

• Hair loss – This can occur in the form of balding or excessive hair loss.

• If your cat is constantly grooming itself – This is a sign that your cat is itchy.

• Your cat's skin has visible conditions such as redness, flaking, and mange.

• Presence of ticks, fleas and skin parasites.

If you notice these types of problems on your cat's skin, you should see a veterinarian to diagnose the condition. In order to detect skin problems, the veterinarian takes samples from the skin or ear and examines these samples under a microscope. In order to make a diagnosis, certain cells such as mites, bacteria, and yeast are looked for. Fungal infections are detected with a fungal culture test. Another method used to detect skin-related disorders is skin biopsy. For a skin biopsy, the cat is given local anesthesia and a sample of the skin is taken. This sample of the skin is sent to the laboratory for biopsy.

Treatment of Skin Diseases in Cats

Treating skin diseases in cats First of all, a definitive diagnosis of the skin disease must be made. Depending on the diagnosis, the treatment phase of skin diseases can be started. Accordingly, the treatment of skin diseases will be different from each other according to the disease itself. Some skin diseases are easy to treat while others are difficult, and some can heal easily while others may take longer to heal. For this reason, definitive diagnosis is of great importance in the treatment of the disease. Accordingly, we can examine the treatment of some skin diseases.

• If there are parasites such as fleas and ticks in the cat, medication is applied. It is also very important to keep the treatments against fleas and ticks up to date. In addition to flea treatment, it is also necessary to keep the area where the cat lives clean.

• Antibiotic drugs are mostly used in the treatment of cat acne. In addition to antibiotic drugs, gels and creams are also used in acne treatment. During the treatment process, the cat's food and water bowls should be cleaned constantly. In addition, situations that may cause stress in your cat should be minimized.

• Antibiotic medications are used to treat bacterial infections.

• Topical medications are often used to treat ear mites. If your cat has ear mites, they need to be treated immediately because the progression of this condition can lead to hearing loss.

• Food allergy treatment is done by identifying allergenic foods. In this case, this situation can be prevented by keeping the cat away from the foods it is allergic to. In addition, anti-itch creams and medications can be used for itching and redness caused by food allergies. However, these medications must be prescribed by a veterinarian.

• Fungal treatment uses antifungal drugs and antifungal creams. Fungus is one of the most dangerous skin problems because it can infect both humans and other animals. For this reason, you should keep your cat away from other animals and avoid direct contact with the affected area while it is being treated for fungus.

There are many skin and skin diseases seen in cats. Cats' skin and fur tell us a lot about their health. Many skin problems such as itching, redness, dull appearance, hair loss, abscesses, pimple-like lumps, masses and lesions can be present on the cat's skin and fur. If you see any difference or problem on your cat's skin, you should go to the veterinarian without worrying. Because it is quite easy to detect many skin diseases. Moreover, it is quite fast and simple for the cat to be treated with early diagnosis.