6 Common Cat Skin Diseases: Vet's Guide & Symptoms Illu
Hello everyone, welcome to Oxygen Pet Doctor ~
It's a common issue for 90% of cat owners to encounter skin diseases in their feline friends. However, with so many types of cat skin diseases, it can be quite overwhelming for cat parents to identify and treat them. It's a real headache!
So, here comes a handy guide on how to deal with common cat skin diseases, fresh and ready to help!
Don't wait, cat parents, grab this information now!
Ringworm
Ringworm in cats is caused by two types of fungi: Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, with 98% being Microsporum canis.
Symptoms:
The most common areas affected are the face, trunk, limbs, and tail of the cat. Circular or elliptical ring spots appear, covered with gray scales, and the fur becomes rough. The fur in the affected areas may fall out in clumps or break off.
Treatment Methods:
1. Isolate the affected cat, put on a collar, shave the affected area, apply medication, and clean the local scales with iodine.
2. Use antifungal ointments like Daxue Ning Soft Cream (Compound Ketoconazole Ointment) or Tolnaftate Hydrochloride Cream on the affected area, twice a day.
3. For systemic infection, oral Itraconazole Capsules can be given once a day, with a dosage of 510mg per kilogram of body weight, for a treatment period of 48 weeks.
Note: These medications should not be used longterm or on未成年 kittens, as they can cause liver damage. Adult cats with small affected areas should also avoid using them without consulting a vet.
4. Supplement with Vitamin B to boost the cat's immunity. We recommend Petspecific PuanTai Composite Vitamin Tablets to promptly provide the cat with Bcomplex vitamins to help heal skin wounds.
5. Regularly clean and disinfect the home to avoid fungal residue. Also, let your cat bask in the sun more often, as it can act as a natural杀菌 agent.
Ear Mites
Ear mites are parasites found in the inner and outer ear canals. They are often confused with Malassezia, which is diagnosed through ear examination (staining). However, some differences can be observed with the naked eye.
Symptoms:
The ear has blackbrown secretions resembling coffee grounds, dry and hard. The cat's ears will be extremely itchy, and they will frequently scratch and shake their heads. Pure ear mites usually do not smell bad.
Treatment Methods:
1. First, put on a suitable head collar to prevent scratching and interfere with treatment.
2. Treat the ear mites externally (the key to treatment), once a month, for three months.
3. Use Er Fen Hua Ear Care Solution to drop into the cat's ear canal. Gently rub the ear root for one minute to melt the earwax, then let the cat shake out the dirt inside. Clean the ear with a cotton ball and wipe away any remaining liquid around the ear.
4. Use EarFu Ling to kill the ear mites. There is a tube that can be inserted directly into the cat's ear canal. Since the ear structure of dogs and cats is Lshaped, the eardrum will not be pierced. Squeeze in a small amount of ointment, massage the ear to allow the medicine to absorb, and then wipe away any excess medication.
Ear cleaning and medication should be done twice a day; repeat for 1828 days until the cat's symptoms disappear.
Malassezia
Symptoms:
The ear has blackbrown secretions resembling mud, wet, and with a foul odor. The frequency of scratching is not as high as with ear mites, and the affected cat usually does not have a smell.
Treatment Methods:
1. First, put on a suitable Elizabethan collar to prevent scratching and interfere with treatment.
2. Use ear cleaning solution to clean the cat's ears, then apply ear medicine like EarFu Ling once a day, repeating for 710 days.
3. The purpose of washing is to dissolve and clean the earwax inside, and then apply the ear medicine after cleaning, which will enhance the efficacy of the medicine.
Black Chin/ Greasy Tail (Folliculitis)
Folliculitis can be caused by poor diet, endocrine disorders, poor environmental hygiene, and other factors.
Symptoms:
The cat's chin or tail will have small black spots like soot. In severe cases, there may be redness, papules, and hair loss.
Treatment Methods:
1. Wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent scratching.
2. For mild black chin, the owner can use a wet cotton ball dipped in Bato Ding (Diluted Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution) to gently wipe the affected area.
3. For slightly more severe black chin, apply Erythromycin Ointment to the affected area once or twice a day.
4. If the chin or tail shows inflammation, first shave the area locally and use a pet shampoo containing benzoyl peroxide for bathing treatment to deeply clean the area. Continue using it until improvement is seen.
5. If the affected area has boils or bleeding ulcers, it is recommended to visit a veterinarian. The doctor will usually choose the best antibiotic for treatment based on a drug sensitivity test.
It is recommended to perform early spaying or neutering surgery to effectively prevent folliculitis caused by excessive hormone secretion.
Fleas
Symptoms:
The cat frequently scratches and chews its body. By combing out the fur, you can see black particles, which are flea feces, that turn red when wet.
Treatment Methods:
1. Treat the cat with external deworming and isolate it.
2. Use a finetoothed comb to physically deworm the cat, combing out the small black spots.
3. Environmental deworming:
Dilute 84 disinfectant water according to the ratio (for example, 500ml of mineral water mixed with one cap of 84 disinfectant) and spray it all over the places where the cat often stays, such as sofas, cat beds, curtains, floors, and various nooks and crannies. Also, put your bedding and clothes into the washing machine to wash them.
Remember to ventilate the room for 30 minutes after disinfection, at least once a day, and twice would be better.
Avoid keeping cats or dogs in the room during the ventilation and disinfection process.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis can be caused by a humid home environment, other issues with the cat's living conditions, and so on.
Symptoms:
Commonly found on the abdomen and inner thighs, the affected skin areas show erythema, petechiae, blisters, and erosions. It may also be accompanied by itching, pain, and heat symptoms.
Treatment Methods:
1. Ventilate frequently to keep the indoor environment dry. If the cat's fur is too long, consider trimming or shaving it to prevent the affected areas from becoming moist and stuffy.
2. Use PuanTai Ointment to antibacterial. This is specifically for cat atopic dermatitis, skin redness, and hair loss, mainly to promote skin repair, with antibacterial and astringent effects.
3. Administer Chlorphenamine Maleate Tablets to relieve itching. Cats with atopic dermatitis often suffer from severe itching, so it is necessary to put on an Elizabethan collar and, if the cat is very itchy, administer Chlorphenamine Maleate Tablets to relieve the itching.
4. Pay attention to the cat's balanced diet and feed the cat a complex vitamin supplement to help enhance the cat's body resistance.
Did you learn something new? Let's keep our feline friends healthy and happy!