Pet Skin Doctor
Pet Skin Information
Archive for the ‘Cat Skin Allergies’ Category
Pet skin conditions cover a wide range of potential problems, making diagnosis difficult. However, the type of ailment your pet is suffering from may be diagnosed based on the visual (hot spots, hair loss, etc.) location (face, belly and armpits, ears, etc.), and color (dry flaky skin or red irritated skin?)
Pet skin conditions are often due to an allergic reaction your pet has (like humans, it can be to just about anything!), but is most often caused by flea or insect bite, inhalent or food allergens.
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Cat Skin Conditions Caused By Allergy
Thursday, November 12, 2009
posted by Essential Needs @ 1:57 PM
The most common cat allergies are caused by allergens in the air, food, medication or fleas/insects. You must properly diagnose the underlying cause prior to treatmenteliminating the irritant.
Since most feline allergies affect their skin, cat skin conditions due to allergy may occur at any time and may seem to appear from out of no where. A sudden allergic reaction to cat food they’ve been eating for long periods of time is not that unusual.
An All-Natural Remedy for Pet Skin Ailments?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
posted by Essential Needs @ 12:31 PM
If you have been through the vet’s process of handling your pet’s skin ailments, then you may have been left feeling frusterated. Often times, the vet will give your pet a shot or prescription medication that seems to work for a little while, only for the problem to return.
This is especially true in cases of pet skin problems because the diagnosis is often a complicated and expensive procedure whereas medication is a “quick” fix. The fact of the matter is many of these prescribed drugs are hazardous to your pet’s health. An all-natural remedy containing Essential Fatty Acids and the Omega’s may have a dramatic effect on your pet’s skin ailments. Potentially curing the skin problem instead of just covering it up for awhile.
My ex-boyfriend spent so much time complaining about the allergic reactions brought on by my cat Frank that I completely overlooked Frank’s own allergy issues. Cat-proofing my bedroom was a huge pain in the neck; it required that I vacuum the room constantly and that Frank couldn’t be allowed inside – not even to lounge in his favorite patch of sun that covers my bed sheets. Eventually the boyfriend had to go, and my attention returned to the cat.
As it turned out, he had developed some cat allergies that were manifesting themselves in the form of itchy skin patches. I spoke to the veterinarian about it and he recommended the occasional application of skin therapy cream. The dry, flaky skin and hot spots healed in a matter of days, and Frank returned to his leisurely, carefree lifestyle.
If you have noticed ”hot spots” on your feline, you may take him to the vet only to pay for the visit and possibly a steroid shot. The hot spot may disapear only to reapear shortly after.
This is evidence that the cat hot spots are a symptom of a deeper problem. “Hot spots” are patches of red, inflamed skin. This moist, raw skin disorder has a variety of causes but the most consistent factor is bacteria. It’s important to document location of the hot spot and when you noticed its appearance. As these are helpful things to know while trying to diagnose the underlying problem. In the mean time, using a natural skin therapy lotion on the hot spot will help the area to heal faster without the expensive, time-consuming trips to the vet or the long-term ill effects of steroids.
If your cat is showing symptoms of having an allergy, your primary concern should be proper diagnosis. Since symptoms of an allergy include skin conditions that are often symptoms of other cat health problems, it’s important to begin documenting your cat’s behavior and schedule a visit to your vet.
Cat skin allergies are difficult to diagnose and even after diagnosis, “treatment” is more typically prevention then cure depending on the allergen. Your vet will be able to provide the tests sometimes necessary in proper diagnoses of your cat’s problem should it go that far. These tests can be expensive and time consuming so it’s best to avoid them if possible.
If your cat is showing any of the following symptoms listed here then she has a skin problem which may actually be caused by an allergy. Dry, flaky skin, red, irritated looking skin (called skin lesions), loss of hair, a dry, dull-looking coat, lumps or bumps on or under the skin, red patches on the skin, round raw lesions on the head, hips and chest (called cat hot spots), scaly patches or scabs on the skin, or your cat may scratch or lick her skin excessively (called pruritis).
Did you know some cat breeds are more prone to cat skin problems? An Abyssinian cat is prone to ear inflammation, hair loss or skin injury due to anxiety and excessive grooming. A Siamese cat may have a reaction to food, less than normal amount of hair, white hair in a specific area, and/or smooth white patches of skin. A Persian cat is more prone to prasite infestation (dandruff), fungal infection, dermatitis (redness) in the folds of the skin or crusty skin.
Cat Skin Problems Associated with Allergies
Thursday, September 24, 2009
posted by Essential Needs @ 9:16 AM
You may be aware that many potential diseases and health problems will surface by way of your cat’s skin and coat. This makes it sometimes very difficult to figure out what in particular is wrong with your feline.
However, cat skin problems associated with your kitty having an allergy are hair loss, mutilated skin, pulling out tufts of hair, miliary dermatitis, hot spots and red lesions. Most common allergies are hypersensitivity to flea or mosqito bites, an allergic reaction to their food or food additive or a contact allergen such as weeds, grass, trees, wool, house dust or dust mites, etc.
If you’ve noticed your feline companion scratching a bit more then normal, the first thought to come to mind is probably, “Oh no, fluffy has fleas!” Obviously the next step is checking kitty over for signs of fleas such as bites, flea feces, eggs or even the little biters themselves. Fleas are often the culprit and therefore the number one possibility when it comes to your cat’s itchy skin. back, around tail and hindquarters
However, if your flea search comes up clean, there are numerous other culprits for cat itchy skin. Take note where your cat is doing the most scratching to help figure out what the cause may be. Constant scratching around their head, face, neck and the edges of their ears may be scabies while ”walking dandruff” is only mildly itchy and tends to lay on their back, neck and sides. Head shaking and ear scratching may be caused by ear mites while itching and skin irritations between the toes, around ears and the mouth may be chiggers. Ticks attach themselves to your cat’s skin while lice attach themselves to it’s hair and look like a piece of white grain. Possible, more complicated disorders include food allergy and dermatitis.
It’s somewhat ironic that the “dog days of summer” can be some of the most miserable in the life of a cat. Long-haired cats are especially susceptible to hot spots, also known as acute moist dermatitis, which occurs frequently during the muggy summer months. The condition is sometimes mistaken for other, potentially more harmful issues, so you should always check with a vet. Symptoms include raw lesions on the face, chest or hips.
The good news is that cat hot spots are easily treatable. First of all, try to isolate the cause of the irritation – mites, fleas, allergies, poor grooming habits, etc. Once the cause has been eliminated or corrected, you can apply a topical skin therapy cream to the sight of the problem. Rub liberal amounts of cream over the lesions and allow time for them to heal.