Pretty much every cat will have some type of feline skin conditions over the course of their lifetime.
Sharing your house with one of more cats? Beware that they might have a close and personal skirmish with cat skin issues. In most instances, skin issues are easily cared for by consulting with a vet. The point is, that with most lumps, bumps, masses, and other strange things on your cat's body, it is best to check with the veterinarian, to rule out anything significant.
More often than not, many of the lumps and raised areas on your cat are due to ageing. The older the cat, the greater the possibility you will find bumps.
The commonest kitten and cat skin issues are:
- Wheals which are raised areas that sometimes heal speedily, with the trigger regularly of an unknown cause
- Macules are an area of the skin that's another color than the surrounding ares
- Tumor tissue mass is often hard and not moveable
- Pimples are raised skin areas that contain pus
- Vesicles are a bump under your cat's outer dermal layer
- Papules are referred to as an elevated welt
- Nodules are elevated lumps on the skin
- Contact dermatitis is due to a cat rubbing against something that causes a skin reaction
- Feline acne around the face and chin, is usually from rubbing to mark their territory
- Cat allergy is a rash is the result of flea bites
As you can see, there are many causes for feline skin lesions and a lot of them overly concern their human family with the fear that their loyal companion might have a malignancy. While it's right that some of the lesions your furry friend may display could be a neoplasm, the majority of them aren't. However , chatting with the vet is the right place to start. You may find out the issue you noticed is a benign tumor, a hematoma or fatty lump, referred to as a lipoma. To paraphrase, don't jump to the worst concern first.
Frequently most of the bumps and other strange skin tags, nodules and the like are associated with an allergic response, which implies you need to check what you are feeding your cat. Felines are meat eaters, and the majority of the feline diets on the market is grain based; something that gives many cats skin, coat, eye, ear and other problems. Check the labels first, as a point of initial investigation. There are several holistic brands on the market that offer your cat a better balanced, healthier and more nutritive meal, than grain based kibble.
If food isn't the issue, you may want to check for fleas, mites and ringworm and/or fungus infections. These are hard to find in all that fur, and often you might miss the incontrovertible fact your kitty has a skin issue, unless you see them scratching. Ideally, take a look at your cat over completely, by combing through their coat, one or more times a week.
If you notice something that will not heal, when it looks like something that should, this too is something an owner will need to check with your veterinarian. A lack of healing could signal anything from immunological response inadequacies to cancer. Don't try and guess, disqualify what it is not, find out what it is and move on with the diagnosiic process.
Treatment for kitty skin problems is varied , depending on what the suspected disease is, though frequently it will include medication, shampoo therapy, topical skin creams, antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, ointments, antibiotics (topica, oral or via injection), sprays, soaps and patches. Regardless of what it is, follow all of the instructions and complete the full course of treatment. This often guarantees the issue does not return. If it does return, it could be an issue with the dosage, medication chose, or diagnosis. This would also indicate that additional advanced labs are required.
If you're not keen on medicine for your kitty, there are many natural products that may work for your cat. Remember that natural products also have complications so be sure to do some research before providing an alternative treatment.
Sharing your house with one of more cats? Beware that they might have a close and personal skirmish with cat skin issues. In most instances, skin issues are easily cared for by consulting with a vet. The point is, that with most lumps, bumps, masses, and other strange things on your cat's body, it is best to check with the veterinarian, to rule out anything significant.
More often than not, many of the lumps and raised areas on your cat are due to ageing. The older the cat, the greater the possibility you will find bumps.
The commonest kitten and cat skin issues are:
- Wheals which are raised areas that sometimes heal speedily, with the trigger regularly of an unknown cause
- Macules are an area of the skin that's another color than the surrounding ares
- Tumor tissue mass is often hard and not moveable
- Pimples are raised skin areas that contain pus
- Vesicles are a bump under your cat's outer dermal layer
- Papules are referred to as an elevated welt
- Nodules are elevated lumps on the skin
- Contact dermatitis is due to a cat rubbing against something that causes a skin reaction
- Feline acne around the face and chin, is usually from rubbing to mark their territory
- Cat allergy is a rash is the result of flea bites
As you can see, there are many causes for feline skin lesions and a lot of them overly concern their human family with the fear that their loyal companion might have a malignancy. While it's right that some of the lesions your furry friend may display could be a neoplasm, the majority of them aren't. However , chatting with the vet is the right place to start. You may find out the issue you noticed is a benign tumor, a hematoma or fatty lump, referred to as a lipoma. To paraphrase, don't jump to the worst concern first.
Frequently most of the bumps and other strange skin tags, nodules and the like are associated with an allergic response, which implies you need to check what you are feeding your cat. Felines are meat eaters, and the majority of the feline diets on the market is grain based; something that gives many cats skin, coat, eye, ear and other problems. Check the labels first, as a point of initial investigation. There are several holistic brands on the market that offer your cat a better balanced, healthier and more nutritive meal, than grain based kibble.
If food isn't the issue, you may want to check for fleas, mites and ringworm and/or fungus infections. These are hard to find in all that fur, and often you might miss the incontrovertible fact your kitty has a skin issue, unless you see them scratching. Ideally, take a look at your cat over completely, by combing through their coat, one or more times a week.
If you notice something that will not heal, when it looks like something that should, this too is something an owner will need to check with your veterinarian. A lack of healing could signal anything from immunological response inadequacies to cancer. Don't try and guess, disqualify what it is not, find out what it is and move on with the diagnosiic process.
Treatment for kitty skin problems is varied , depending on what the suspected disease is, though frequently it will include medication, shampoo therapy, topical skin creams, antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, ointments, antibiotics (topica, oral or via injection), sprays, soaps and patches. Regardless of what it is, follow all of the instructions and complete the full course of treatment. This often guarantees the issue does not return. If it does return, it could be an issue with the dosage, medication chose, or diagnosis. This would also indicate that additional advanced labs are required.
If you're not keen on medicine for your kitty, there are many natural products that may work for your cat. Remember that natural products also have complications so be sure to do some research before providing an alternative treatment.
About the Author:
The publisher, Cathy Doggins, is a widely read contributor to many respected blogs on feline skin problems. Ms. Doggins is also respected for her writing on cat and kitten medical conditions ashighlighted in the Cat Health Guide.
