Skin diseases in cats: a list of diseases, a description with a photo, causes and methods of treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The skin of pets is regularly exposed to various negative influences, they are bitten by fleas, ticks and various blood-sucking parasites. As a result of this, various skin diseases in cats, as well as problems with coat, can occur. It is very important to accurately diagnose and treat. This will prevent the occurrence of dangerous complications.

Varieties of skin diseases

According to their variety, all skin diseases in cats are divided into several large groups, namely:

• parasitic;
• bacterial infections;
• allergy;
• other pathologies.

Diseases caused by parasitic invasion can be as follows:

• ringworm;
• flea infestation;
• death by ticks.

A fairly common skin disease is flea infestation. If you do not pay attention in timeto the presence of a problem and not remove the parasites, then this can be complicated by dermatitis, which is of an allergic nature. The main symptom is severe itching throughout the body of the animal.

Fleas do not live on the skin of a cat, but only feed on blood. The entire main process of life and reproduction takes place in the secluded places of the apartment. This must be taken into account when treating an animal. Therefore, the therapy process includes the treatment of the skin of the cat and the room. For this, special preparations are used. Processing is carried out in several stages to destroy adults and their eggs.

Among the fungal skin diseases in cats (see photo in the article), ringworm should be distinguished. It can be transmitted to humans from animals. Microsporia is characterized by a high spread rate, gradually involving all new parts of the animal's body in the pathological process.

Tick-borne infections should also be attributed to skin diseases in cats. It is very important to learn to distinguish between them, since each has its own separate therapy regimen. These include the following:

• scabies;
• demodectic mange;
• otodectosis;
• sarcoptic mange.

Scabies is a tick-borne infection of the skin of animals. It can be provoked by microscopic scabies mites. They are present on the skin of animals at any time, but are activated only when the body's resistance decreases.

Demodicosis is a dangerous tick-borne lesion. The risk of infection mainly falls on the warm season. Its symptomsquite painful, since the disease covers large areas of the skin. Parasitizing under the skin, mites cause hair loss, pustules and redness.

The cause of otodectosis often lies in insufficiently good care of the animal. The accumulation of wax in the ears and dirt can become a breeding ground for ear mites. The cat constantly shakes its head and suffers from severe ear itching. If the required measures are not taken, then the animal's condition deteriorates sharply.

Skin disease in cats caused by a bacterial infection has two forms of development, namely dry and wet. These include eczema, acne, bedsores. If the animal has suffered a serious illness or a complex operation, then the recovery period requires him to be immobile, which is fraught with the occurrence of bedsores. They form at the site of prolonged contact with the bedding fabric.

Main causes of skin disease in cats

Skin diseases in cats are quite common, and this is due to various provoking factors. These include the following:

• allergic reactions;
• pathology of internal organs;
• insect bites;
• poor environmental situation;
• genetic predisposition;
• infections caused by pathogens;
• feeding poor quality food;
• lack of physical activity.

Often, owners feed their pets with low-quality food, which can lead to allergies in the animal. The allergen is capable offor a long time to accumulate in the body, and then manifested by itching, rashes, hair loss.

Some skin conditions in cats are hereditary. The disease is passed on to offspring. Sometimes it can manifest itself through a generation. The most dangerous factor due to which violations appear is the effect of infection. Most viruses, bacteria and fungi enter the body of a pet and cause serious skin lesions that are transmitted from cat to person. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the animal and seek help from a veterinarian in a timely manner.

Ringworm

This is an infectious skin disease in cats, the photo of which shows the peculiarity of its course, provoked by mold fungi. It can affect not only animals, but also humans. Infection mainly occurs after close contact with a sick individual.

Mushroom spores are very persistent in the environment. At risk are mainly animals in a state of immune depression, having a poor diet, elderly and young cats.

It is important to diagnose the disease in a timely manner, as it requires a long, complex treatment. Among the main symptoms, it is necessary to highlight such as:

• hair thinning;
• itch;
• appearance of white flakes in wool;
• nails may become deformed and become yellowish.

Treatment of ringworm should be started immediately after detection, as there is a high risk of infectionperson. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to contact a veterinary clinic for research.

For therapy, Miconazole or Thiabendazole ointment is prescribed. It is forbidden to bathe a cat that suffers from lichen, as this contributes to the spread of fungi throughout the animal's body.

Dermatitis

Among the skin diseases in cats, dermatitis should be highlighted. Depending on the causes of occurrence, it is divided into the following types:

• thermal;
• chemical;
• traumatic and medical;
• parasitic and infectious.

Regardless of the type of disease, there are purulent inflammation of the skin. A serous secretion or ichor may also appear. The most common is miliary dermatitis. It is an allergic reaction that occurs in response to the bites of blood-sucking parasites.

Dermatitis symptoms can vary. Basically, the disease manifests itself in the form of various redness, cracks in the skin, swelling, purulent discharge, peeling of the skin.

Treatment is selected depending on the cause of dermatitis, as well as the severity of the inflammatory process. For injuries, external dressings are used with an ointment that has an antiseptic and astringent effect. Preparations with propolis have a good healing effect. If damage is provoked by chemicals, then its destructive effect must first be neutralized.

Allergy

PrettyAllergy is considered a common skin disease in cats. It can occur against the background of any provoking factors, in particular, such as chemicals, new food, plants, dust, cosmetics and perfumes. Among the main symptoms, it is necessary to highlight such as:

• itch;
• temperature increase;
• rashes;
• decreased immunity;
• formation of ulcers.

If a cat is free-ranging, then the likelihood of allergies increases, since the animal meets many provoking factors on the street. Allergy treatment in cats should only be started after consultation with a specialist.

Eczema

The spread of inflammation can be due to many different factors, which should include such as:

• poor animal care;
• reaction to the collar or synthetic clothing of the animal;
• hormonal disorders;
• presence of bacteria and parasites;
• unbalanced diet;
• liver, stomach or kidney problems.

The first symptom of skin disease in cats is the appearance of redness and itching. The spots that appear are hot to the touch. After scratching, the skin of the animal is covered with blisters filled with liquid. With dry eczema, they burst and dry out, then a crust forms, which begins to peel off. This type of illness often becomes chronic.

With wet eczema, the contents of the blisters flow out, which provokes the formation of pustules. The disease progresses in acuteform, however, with its timely detection, it is treated very easily. The hair on the affected area is sheared, and then treated with ointment and antiseptics. The pet is prescribed a vitamin complex and antibiotics.

Scabies

It is very important to recognize the symptoms of skin diseases in cats in a timely manner. A photo of scabies will help to separate this disease from others and carry out the correct treatment. This is a rather unpleasant disease that occurs as a result of the rapid activity of ticks. These parasites, getting on the skin, begin to make passages in it and lay eggs. This causes the animal considerable discomfort. Among the main symptoms, it is necessary to highlight such as:

• severe itching;
• redness and inflammation of the skin;
• hair loss.

Only a veterinarian can accurately determine if a pet has scabies. Under a microscope, many mites can be clearly distinguished. Treatment mainly consists of topical ointments and antiparasitic injections.

If the animal's body is sufficiently weakened due to the activity of parasites, then you need to improve the cat's nutrition and pick up restorative vitamins. Prevention is also important, as many flea drops also protect against ticks.

Demodicosis

This disease is provoked by a microscopic mite that parasitizes in the cat's epidermis. It mainly occurs in spring and autumn, when there is high humidity. Among the main signs of pathology, the following should be distinguished:

• on skinrashes and scratching appear on the integument;
• hair loss occurs in some places;
• tubercles form on the body, when pressed, a thick white liquid is released;
• cat's skin turns red and crusty.

The demodectic mite reduces the pet's immunity quite a lot, so if timely treatment is not carried out, the cat may die from a secondary infection.

Alopecia

Baldness in cats can be congenital or acquired. In some cases, alopecia is considered the breed standard and does not require any specialized treatment at all. Acquired baldness occurs as a result of exposure to the body of various adverse factors. The disease is manifested by hair loss, the formation of wounds, reddening of the skin, the appearance of bumps on the body of the animal.

Other diseases

Autoimmune diseases, in particular, such as vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, pemphigus, are quite rare. They appear in the form of numerous rashes on the skin of the animal, which eventually become pustules, sores or erosions.

Alimentary skin diseases appear as a result of an unbalanced diet of the animal. They are characterized by weight loss of the animal, brittleness and dryness of the coat, as well as peeling of the animal's skin.

Fungal skin diseases in cats are characterized by hair loss. On the affected area, light gray or white areas are formed, under which thinned skin is found. The presence of itching and its intensity duringlargely depend on the degree of damage and the type of pathogen.

Treatment of a fungal infection should be carried out with the means prescribed by the attending doctor. Depending on the strain of the fungus and the degree of damage, only topical treatment or longer complex therapy with additional vaccination may be required.

Bacterial skin disease in cats is characterized by suppuration of already existing wound surfaces, folds and scratches. Crusts, scales, vesicles, pustules form on the affected area. Basically, the pathological process affects only the superficial layers of the skin. Deeper lesions may indicate more serious disorders. It is necessary to start antibiotic therapy after carrying out a bacterial culture of a scraping of the affected skin area and determining sensitivity to antibiotics.

Diagnostics

To correctly recognize the violation, you need to look at the description of skin diseases in cats with a photo. Treatment should only be prescribed by a veterinarian, as some drugs are toxic and can harm the animal. In some cases, a clinical examination alone is not enough, so the doctor prescribes other diagnostic methods, namely:

• urine and blood test;
• skin sampling;
• allergy tests;
• bacteriological inoculation of the material.

Only after an accurate diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes the most effective treatment regimen.

Providing treatment

Toto eliminate the symptoms of skin diseases in cats, the treatment must be comprehensive, and it is prescribed by a qualified veterinarian. Therapy largely depends on the diagnosis made by the doctor. With fungal infections, antimycotic drugs are effective, in particular, such as Exoderil, Lamisil, sulfur-based ointment.

Antimicrobial drugs are prescribed to treat a cat's skin disease caused by bacteria. For external processing, "Aluminisprey" or "Miramistin" are mainly prescribed.

Viral infections are treated with antiviral drugs such as Maksidin. Local treatment of the skin is carried out with antiseptic agents. Allergies are treated with corticosteroids and antihistamines. However, the allergen must first be identified.

Baldness requires an individual approach for each animal. Therapy begins only after the diagnosis and establishment of the cause of the disease. For the treatment of scabies, the drug "Amitrazine" is used. Autoimmune diseases are treated with steroids.