ANTI ITCH FOR DOGS SKIN ISSUES SKIN

The reluctance of cat owners to administer these products in a consistent manner is due partly to the false perception that indoor cats cannot contract parasitic infections.

ANTI ITCH FOR DOGS SKIN ISSUES SKIN

Parasites that live on the skin are called ectoparasites, a term that includes fleas, ticks, mites, and other organisms.īecause many cats live exclusively indoors, administration of flea and tick preventatives is far less common in cats than in dogs. More commonly, parasitic infections (sometimes referred to as parasitic infestations) can cause cats to become itchy. Dermatophytosis can be passed to people, so testing for ringworm, either by fungal culture or a more modern laboratory test called PCR, is an important step, even if pet owners don’t believe ringworm to be the cause. “Dermatophytosis” is the medical word for a ringworm infection, and it’s among the most common infectious causes of feline pruritus. When an itchy cat comes into the animal hospital, testing for the most common skin infections is one of the first diagnostic steps in the workup. When a cat’s skin becomes infected-be it with bacteria, fungi, or parasites-itchiness is usually the result. Infectious Causes Behind Itchiness in Cats Once your veterinarian is able to determine the underlying cause of your cat’s itchy skin, the treatment is targeted at eliminating that cause (if possible) to minimize the itch and to improve your pet’s quality of life. Everything from inherited, genetic diseases to autoimmune disorders to cancers can generate an itching sensation in the skin of cats. The 'everything else” category of feline pruritus is lengthy and diverse. When your cat inhales, ingests, or otherwise comes in contact with an allergen, her immune system can overreact, so to speak, resulting in skin inflammation and itchiness. Infectious causes are often parasitic, although bacterial and fungal infections are common as well.Īllergic causes are usually inflammatory in nature. There are many causes of itchy skin in cats, but you can roughly divide them into three categories:

Here’s what you need to know about why your cat is itchy and what you can do about it. Itchy skin in cats can be successfully managed in most cases once the main cause of the itch is identified, and they will be much more comfortable after treatment. The focus of treatment for pruritus is eliminating the underlying cause. Unfortunately for itchy cats, direct treatment options are slightly more limited than in dogs. In both dogs and cats, the majority of skin disease is pruritic. “Pruritus” is the term veterinarians use for itchiness in pets, and it is among the most common presenting complaints in animal hospitals.

Anti itch for dogs skin issues