Lichen in cats: how it manifests itself, causes, symptoms, types of lichen, treatment and advice from veterinarians

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

Deprive is called a fungal or viral disease that affects the skin. Such a pathology occurs in humans and, of course, in domestic animals. Very often we deprive suffer, for example, cats. To treat such a disease in a pet, of course, you need to immediately. Otherwise, the owners of the cat themselves can catch lichen. In addition, this unpleasant contagious disease often causes complications in animals. In this article, we will deal with how lichen manifests itself in cats, and also consider methods for treating this disease.

Main varieties

This disease, unfortunately, is very common and can be caused by different types of fungus or viruses. Veterinarians are aware of several types of lichen in cats. Signs (in the photo located later in the article, some of them can be seen in detail) in different forms of this diseasemay not be the same. Combines all types of lichen only the presence of lesions on the skin of the animal with hair loss.

So, there are the following forms of this disease:

• weeping lichen;
• pink;
• colorful;
• shearing.

Causes of development and symptoms of weeping lichen

This disease has the peculiarity that it is not transmitted to humans. In fact, this type of ailment can even be called deprivation only with a stretch. This disease is not caused by a fungus or a virus. We deprive it is considered mainly only because of the formation of lesions on the body of animals with hair loss. The cause of the development of weeping lichen in a cat can be:

• strong stress;
• hormonal failure.

Very often, this pathology also becomes the result of strong scratching due to fleas or ticks. Sometimes weeping lichen is formed on the body of a cat and as an allergic reaction. Such spots can appear on the skin of an animal, for example, due to some kind of food.

How does lichen appear in cats? The main symptoms of this form of the disease are:

• formation of red spots on the animal's body;
• burning.

A cat with this disease usually experiences severe discomfort. Among other things, the affected areas of the skin in pets with the development of such an ailment are often wet. The presence of fluid-filled blisters on wounds is one of the main signs of lichen in cats. In the photo you canto see an animal with a weeping form of this disease.

Treatment

For a person, this form of the disease is not dangerous. However, if symptoms of weeping lichen are detected, the cat should still be taken to the veterinarian. The fact is that this disease, unfortunately, is very difficult to treat. Most likely, it will not be possible to help a cat with weeping lichen on its own.

After examining a sick animal, the doctor will prescribe the necessary drugs for him. They must be given to your pet in strict accordance with the scheme recommended by the veterinarian. Most often, experts prescribe various kinds of antiseptic ointments to cats with weeping lichen.

In the first stages of the disease, the animal is in most cases prescribed a sulfuric external agent. A bandage is lubricated with such an ointment and the affected area on the body of the animal is bandaged with it. Subsequently, compresses are changed every 2 days. The course of treatment for weeping lichen in cats usually lasts for 3 weeks.

In the later stages of the disease, tar ointment is prescribed in most cases for pets. With this remedy, the wounds are treated 2 times a day. It is not recommended to use tar ointment more often. The course of treatment in this case is continued until the spots disappear from the body of the animal.

Pityriasis rosea: causes and symptoms

This form of the disease is otherwise called herpes zoster. The cause of the development of pink lichen in animals is infection with a virus. Most often, this pathology develops in cats withimmunocompromised.

As with other forms of pathology, with shingles, spots appear on the animal's body. Their color is pink. Spot sizes with such lichen are usually not too large - about 2 cm in diameter. Sometimes this disease is even manifested by small rashes on the skin of an animal, reminiscent of an allergic reaction to food.

You can accurately diagnose lichen rosea in a domestic cat by the following signs:

• increase in body temperature;
• itch;
• increased lymph nodes;
• general malaise.

Of course, pet lovers should be aware of all these signs of lichen in cats. In the photo below, you can see what the spot looks like on the skin of an animal with herpes zoster.

Sometimes, unfortunately, pink lichen in cats is hidden. In this case, no additional symptoms, in addition to rashes and spots, are observed in the animal. Because of this, cat owners, unfortunately, often confuse such lichen with a common allergy.

How they treat

Thus, we found out how shingles is manifested in cats. But how is this disease treated?

It is not necessary to carry to the pet's veterinarian with pink lichen. A feature of this disease is that in cats it goes away on its own after a while. But of course, the owners of an infected animal should, just in case, limitcontact with him, and take measures to strengthen his immunity.

In the diet of a sick cat, you need to include more meat and sea fish. Cats kept on industrial feeds should buy only the highest quality mixtures. Modern manufacturers of such products produce, among other things, pillows for animals with weakened immune systems. Of course, you can also buy such food for your pet.

In addition, the owners of the affected cat should try to make sure that he was as little as possible in the sun. Another important condition for the rapid recovery of a pet with pink lichen is the dryness of its skin. It is impossible to let the cat's hair get wet, especially the affected areas of its skin.

There is no medical treatment for rosacea in cats. But if desired, the owner of such a pet can try to speed up his recovery by lubricating the affected areas on his skin with some herbal oils.

How versicolor appears in cats

This type of disease is also called pityriasis versicolor. This disease is caused in cats by yeast-like fungi. The reason for the development of multi-colored lichen in most cases is the weakening of the animal's immunity. Yeast-like fungi are always present in the body of cats. And they can cause multi-colored lichen only if the animal is weakened for some reason.

The main symptom of this form of the disease is the presence of a small light brown or pink spot on the body of the animal. Itching or, for example, fever, pityriasis versicolor usually does not manifest itself. The spot with such a disease in cats most often peels off and scars.

What the pityriasis form of this disease looks like can be seen below in the photo. How lichen appears in cats is multi-colored, therefore, it is understandable. Next, consider how to properly treat this ailment.

How to help an animal

A brown spot on a cat's skin can appear, of course, for various reasons. In order to accurately diagnose lichen, the animal should be taken to the veterinary clinic. The specialist will most likely immediately place the cat under an ultraviolet lamp. In streams of such light, the site of infection on the skin of the animal will turn yellow-green. This color is a sign of pityriasis versicolor.

Treat this form of skin disease in cats with both topical and oral medications. In the first case, Terbinafine or Miconazole are usually used, which, among other things, include zinc. Lubricate lichen in cats when using these products twice a day.

Ointments are used by veterinarians to treat only a mild form of this disease. In more severe situations, cats are prescribed medicines intended for oral administration. In this case, the animal can be prescribed, for example, such drugs as Mycozoral, Fluconazole, Griseofulvin.

Causes of ringworm

This varietypathology in cats develops as a result of infection with spores of the fungus. Ringworm is the most dangerous and contagious form of this disease. It is they who are most often infected from cats by owners. The reason for the development of lichen in this form, like most others, is most often a weakening of the immune system.

Because this disease is actually very contagious, knowing how ringworm in cats manifests itself is a must for all owners of such pets. The main symptoms of this disease are:

• cat has itchy bald patches with smooth edges;
• flaky crusts;
• greasiness and hair loss.

In severe cases, cats with ringworm can develop deformed nails. In the later stages of the disease, characteristic spots appear on the body of the animal not only in the head area, but also in the paws, tail, and muzzle.

Many pet owners wonder how long it takes for cats to develop lichen after contact with a sick animal. The incubation period for this disease can last from 4 days to 3 months. In this case, it all depends on how well the pet's immunity is developed.

Prevention of human infection

What should the owner of an animal with a ringworm disease do after its signs have been discovered? Treatment of lichen in a cat and in this case should, of course, be carried out by a veterinarian. But the owners of the animal themselves, among other things, should also takeand measures to prevent fungus infection at home.

If a cat has ringworm, it should be isolated from family members and other pets, if any. If it is not possible to place the injured pet in a separate, closed room, you should try to completely limit contact with people living in the house and animals.

In addition, it is necessary to carry out a wet cleaning of the room with whiteness. The cat itself, of course, should be carried to the veterinarian in a carrier. Also, the specialist should show all other pets living in the apartment.

Treatment Methods

You could see what shingles or ringworm is in the photos posted in the article. As you can see, this disease often looks truly frightening. Therefore, helping a pet at the first manifestations of this disease should be started immediately.

After such a lichen is accurately diagnosed by a veterinarian, a cat is usually prescribed a complex drug treatment. In most cases, the specialist prescribes some kind of ointment to the animal and shampoo at the same time. Also, in the treatment of ringworm, oral preparations are mandatory. Up to two of these drugs can be given to a cat at the same time.

The treatment of ringworm usually lasts quite a long time. Lubricate the affected areas of the cat, bathe it with antifungal shampoos and give it medicines in most cases for at least 1-1.5 months.

The danger of ringworm lies in the fact that even after the symptoms disappear, the animal cannot be considered fully recovered. The disease may return after some time. Veterinarians state recovery only after laboratory tests are carried out on skin scrapings from he althy areas and those that have been affected.

Vet Tips

Thus, cats can become infected with both mild forms of lichen and severe ones. In any case, in order to prevent the development of such diseases in a pet, their owners should take a number of preventive measures. According to veterinarians, you can prevent a cat from becoming infected with deprive:

• excluding the cat walking outside without the supervision of the owner;
• not allowing your pet to come into contact with stray animals.

Against the most dangerous form of ringworm, cats are also vaccinated. In this case, such, for example, preparations as Polivak TM, Microderm or Vakderm F can be used. To develop immunity, cats are vaccinated against ringworm twice with a break of 2 weeks.

Can it be cured with folk remedies

Sometimes, for whatever reason, its owners do not have the opportunity to show a sick pet to a veterinarian. In this case, you can, of course, try to help the animal with folk methods.

For example, the treatment of lichen in cats at home is often carried out using a medicinal ointment prepared fromconcentrated decoction of burdock root and birch charcoal. This composition is applied to the cat's skin in the affected areas for 30 minutes.

A very good solution would be to try to treat the cat's lichen with tar. To get it, you need to burn a large sheet of white paper on a faience plate. Next, you should collect the yellow plaque formed on them from the walls of the dishes. Of course, you can try treating the cat's lichen with iodine or brilliant green.

Instead of a conclusion

So, based on all of the above, it is probably already clear what needs to be done when the first signs of lichen appear in cats. Treatment (the photos used in the article as illustrations allow us to conclude that it is better not to delay the treatment of pets) of the disease should be de alt with exclusively by a specialist. Only a doctor can correctly diagnose the disease, since there are several forms of lichen, and some of them generally resemble allergies in their symptoms. Thus, an incorrectly made decision about the causes of the disease can result in problems and wasted time.

The treatment regimen recommended by the veterinarian should be followed exactly. And then, most likely, the cat itself will quickly recover, and at the same time its owners will not be infected.