Feline skin challenges can range from overgrooming to rashes and bald spots! But our Veterinarians can help you take the guess work out of what ails your cat friend.
There are many things that can cause your cat's skin to have issues that need medical attention. Here are some signs and symptoms of skin problems that needs to see one of our Veterinarians.
- Skin Cancer
- Rashes
- Cat Acne
- Allergies
- Dermatitis
- Bumps
- Worms
- Fungus
- Bald Spots
- General itch
Why is it important to avoid self-diagnosing feline skin conditions?
There are many tests that we can do at the clinic to rule out causes for skin problems. Some tests require untreated skin to be sampled, and if you applied an at home remedy we might not be able to get a accurate sample of the skin because you have altered the site at home with the topical or spray. If there is a bacterial and yeast infection, for example, depending on what it is, we would treat differently, but some over the counter sprays and creams can make certain infections worse!
How soon should you bring in your cat to see a veterinarian for issues with their skin?
As soon as you can! The skin is the barrier to the outside world, and it is the body's first line of defense! Some skin issues can be quite painful, and other can cause serious infections if not treated.
How will a veterinarian diagnose skin diseases?
Depending on what kind of skin issue the cat presents with depends on how we treat. If you cat has a mass, we would test the mass using a needle to look at the mass cells under a microscope. If we think you cat might have some mites in the skin, we would collect a skin scrape and look for the little critters under a microscope. Sometimes, if there are tons of changes in your cat's life, stressing them out, they might react by over grooming and create bald spots all over! If this was the case, after talking about options, we might recommend medications for anxiety.
Most feline skin issue are treatable and curable. Call us today to get your cat in for an appointment if you think he or she is having skin issues!