Skin diseases in cats: photos, symptoms and treatment

Fungal skin diseases

Parasitic fungi cause skin diseases in cats and humans. Microorganisms are very contagious and are easily transmitted between animals of different species. In the maximum risk zone are cats that walk freely on the street, come into contact with street animals, and inspect garbage dumps. But most fungi form resistant spores, so even a clean pet can become infected from its owner's shoes.

Common features of all fungal diseases:

High contagiousness (infectiousness), including interspecies.
Favorable conditions for the disease are warmth, humidity, and peak incidence in summer.
Animals with reduced immunity are more often affected - kittens, pregnant women, pets with chronic diseases.
The affected area quickly spreads throughout the body.
The fungus affects not only the skin, it can live on mucous membranes and internal organs.

The infection is transmitted both from cats to humans and from humans to cats.

Ringworm

The most famous skin disease of cats that is contagious to humans is lichen. Fungi live on the skin, and their spores can persist for several months on surrounding objects - the pet’s fur, the owner’s clothes, objects touched by the patient.

The disease develops gradually:

First, small bald patches appear, not inflamed, the skin without damage. There are no changes in the animal's behavior. Bald patches can be mistaken for the consequences of a fight.
Then the spots increase in size, merge with each other, and become covered with white scales. The animal is clearly irritated and scratches the painful areas.
If the disease is left untreated, the spots continue to merge and large bald areas appear on the cat’s body, covered with plaque and scratches. The cat noticeably suffers from itching and scratches. In severe cases, appetite and sleep disappear, and the animal begins to noticeably lose weight.

Fungal spores are transmitted to humans when caring for a pet and remain on furniture. Symptoms of the disease appear in people with weak immune systems, the elderly, and children. They should not care for a sick animal. For treatment, the cat must be isolated from other animals and people, and the house must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

Malassezia

Malassezia fungi live on the body of all cats without exception, without causing them any discomfort. But when unfavorable conditions arise, fungi begin to actively multiply, which leads to severe itching and an unpleasant odor. The skin in the affected area takes on a red-brown tint.

All fungi love warmth, so Malassezia often settles in the ears, between the fingers, in the groin, armpits, and on the stomach. Experiencing constant itching, the pet actively licks and scratches itself. Sores and scratches appear, which in turn leads to the addition of a bacterial infection.

The most common causes of fungal dermatitis are flea bites, decreased immunity, and allergies.

It is impossible for a person to become infected with this type of fungus, since Malassezia is found on any healthy pet.

If the disease affects large areas, complex treatment with antibiotics, antifungal drugs, external treatments, and shampoos will be required.

List of skin diseases in cats: photos and treatment

Skin diseases and symptoms in cats can develop in many ways and manifest themselves completely differently in a particular environment. There are a number of the most common species that manifest themselves aggressively and acutely in action.

Skin diseases in cats can be:

Miliary dermatitis;
Ringworm;
Bedsores;
Allergy;
Scabies;
Eczema;
Acne;
Demodecosis.

Each disease has its own treatment regimen and characteristics. Next, we will analyze each disease in more detail and broadly, describing the basic information that every cat owner must know.

Ringworm

It is a huge problem that is quite difficult to get rid of. Just lichen has the ability to be transmitted at tremendous speed, infecting the spine, paws and head of the cat . Also, it easily passes to humans, this is explained by the fungal nature of this disease.

In the initial stages, getting rid of microsporia is quite simple. The main task is to timely identify and establish the correct diagnosis. It is necessary to prevent the fungus from infecting the main part of the skin. As lichen spreads, it can be very painful and cause discomfort and discomfort in the animal.

Fungal diseases in cats can often be caused by a moldy fungus called dermatophyte. Taking into account the type of bacteria, microsporia progresses with certain differences , but the symptoms and course of the disease remain the same.

This disease is only dangerous for cats, adults and children. Only birds and dogs are not affected by the lichen. Therefore, having identified it, it will not be superfluous to undergo disease prevention for everyone living in the house.

Miliary dermatitis

This disease involves several types of skin irritations. So, this can be parasitic, bacterial and food dermatitis. But regardless of the variety, the disease manifests itself persistently and causes many reasons for worry. In addition to rashes in the form of dry ulcers and itching, the cat’s mood and well-being worsen, and its immune characteristics are significantly reduced .
No animal is immune from this disease. Constant free walking on the street and poor diet are considered one of the most common causes of this disease. Bites from ticks, fleas, and insects easily provoke irritation. Their saliva is the main allergen intolerant to animals.

Allergy

This disease is a type of dermatitis, but has a slightly different nature. Reactions can happen to the most unexpected items and objects. Thus, there are often cases when animals suffer from allergies to the owner’s cologne or to a new air freshener that has appeared in the toilet. Allergies can also be of several types. Among them are basic, household and food.

Synthetic fabrics, flowering ficus and dust in the house can also cause allergies. Being in a free-range environment increases the likelihood of a cat developing allergies, since the street contains much more dangerous allergens.

Bedsores

This disease often occurs in older animals or cats that have recently suffered a serious injury or illness. Bedsores are a dying place on the skin, which, as a result of the cat’s low activity, begins to fester and die . When an animal lies for a long time or lies most often on one side, then this disease is likely to appear very soon.

Eczema

This deterioration is completely unpredictable. The development of symptoms of the disease is determined by many factors that are quite difficult to predict. This is a process of inflammation that occurs on the skin due to its severe contamination with dirt, parasites, and bacteria. But eczema can occur from incorrectly wearing collars and synthetic clothing designed specifically for cats.

There are also frequent cases where the disease is a complication of an existing disorder. Thus, the cat may have serious problems with the nervous system, stomach, liver and kidneys.

Scabies

Despite the rarity of the disease, the phenomenon of scabies causes great suffering to the animal and often causes fear among owners.
The appearance of this disease is caused by microscopic mites that destroy and gnaw through the epithelium of the cat. These mites are found on the body of any animal, but they do not always cause scabies . Such a disease can begin to develop very quickly if the cat has a lack of vitamins in the body and has a weakened immune system. Also, scabies is easily transmitted to other animals and becomes a parasite quite quickly.

Demodicosis

This disease is very dangerous and can lead to death of the animal so quickly that the owner simply does not have time to take any measures. The disease is caused by the bite of ticks, which are active on warm days.

Cats cannot protect themselves from them, so they are frequent victims of these insects. Animals experience severe suffering , since demodicosis infects large areas of the skin, causing redness and itching.

Acne

Appears as a result of improper cat care.
This disease can also appear when the animal has suffered severe emotional shock and stress. Acne can transform into painful ulcers and ulcers, which often develop into inflammation. Any cat skin disease is a threat. Any disease has the ability to progress, which activates the process of virus reproduction . This leads to the fact that the animal experiences great suffering, the cat loses healthy sleep and appetite, and ceases to communicate with its owners and function normally.

If any irritation occurs on your pet's face or body, you should urgently seek help from a veterinarian. We must not forget that not all diseases are safe for people. Many fungi and viruses have learned to adapt to a specific organism nearby. Therefore, do not be surprised when, without promptly curing the disease, you suddenly lose your immunity and acquire spots of unknown origin.

Parasitic diseases

Parasitic skin diseases in cats affect the skin and ears. All of them are harmless to humans, but are contagious to other cats.

Ear mites (otodectosis)

The tick is a common parasite of all small carnivorous mammals, including cats, dogs and more exotic pets - ferrets. The parasite lives in the external auditory canal and feeds on the epithelium and blood of the animal. Animals become infected from each other directly or through household items, most often this happens in the summer. In winter, tick activity decreases.

The causative agents of otodectosis cause severe itching, which is why the cat constantly scratches its ears, shakes its head, and tilts it to the affected side. Brown discharge, sometimes with blood, accumulates inside the ear, giving the ear an untidy appearance.

Scratching with claws and tick bites are entry points for bacterial infection. Its presence is indicated by pus and an unpleasant odor from the ear.

Treatment for ear scabies is ear mite drops and daily ear cleaning. If there are several animals in the house, then therapeutic measures must be taken for all. There is no need for a special protective regime for people.

Bacterial diseases

Bacterial skin diseases in cats develop as a complication of other pathologies of the epidermis. Entrance gates include scratches, bites, and scratches on the skin. Most often the mucous membranes of the eyes, ears, nose, and oral cavity are affected.

If there are skin diseases caused by other reasons, a bacterial infection can join the pathological process.

General symptoms of bacterial inflammation are severe redness, swelling, hot skin in the affected area, pain, and the appearance of pus with an unpleasant odor. The causative agent is usually normal skin microflora - staphylococcus. It usually does not cause harm, but when it gets into damaged skin it causes inflammation.

Types of skin bacterial inflammations:

Impetigo is a lesion of the epidermis in the form of spots.
Folliculitis is inflammation of the hair follicles.
A furuncle is a large abscess at the site of a hair follicle.
Pyoderma is a purulent inflammation of large areas of skin.
Otitis externa is an inflammation of the external auditory canal caused by ear mites.

Bacterial pathologies should only be treated in a veterinary clinic. Complex treatment is required - taking antibiotics orally, treating the skin, fighting the underlying disease, strengthening the animal’s immunity. There is a risk to humans if you touch the damaged skin of a sick cat.

Scabies

Scabies is a very unpleasant disease, which is a consequence of the vigorous activity of microscopic mites Notoedres cati. These parasites, when they get on the skin, begin to “dig holes” in the layers of the epidermis and actively lay eggs there. Naturally, their “neighborhood” brings maximum inconvenience to the cat.

By the way, scabies is a common name; it is correct to say notoedrosis. It happens that mites settle exclusively in the ears of their victims. Therefore, if a veterinarian has diagnosed your cat with otodectosis, know that the mites have attacked this particular organ of your pet.

Symptoms

The first and obvious thing is severe itching.
Due to itching, hair begins to fall out.
On exposed areas of the skin, redness is visible, the skin is inflamed, thickened, speckled with ulcers or ulcers.

The video below provides more information about the skin disease otodectosis and its symptoms for your attention!

Treatment

Naturally, only a veterinarian can say for sure that your pet has scabies and not another skin disease. Under a microscope, you can easily distinguish hundreds of active mites. Treatment usually consists of topical ointments and antiparasitic injections. If the animal’s body is already quite weakened due to the activity of parasites, it is advisable to prescribe a strengthening course of vitamins and improve nutrition. Prevention is also important; many modern flea drops also provide protection against ticks, so treat your pet with them in a timely manner.

We suggest you read: Does a cat’s character change after sterilization? Important features

Viral diseases

Viral skin diseases in cats are considered the most dangerous. Their common features are high contagiousness and a long incubation period. When an infected cat shows the first signs of the disease, it manages to infect all contact animals. Most often, pets become infected in crowded places - veterinary clinics, foster care, nurseries, and when returning home they infect other animals.

Most cat viruses are not dangerous to humans.

Rhinotracheitis (feline herpes)

The feline herpes virus and the human virus of the same name are different diseases, but their causative agents are close relatives.

Early signs of the disease in cats are similar to a cold - the animal sneezes, coughs, a small pimple may appear on the nose or muzzle under the fur, which quickly passes.

If the disease is left untreated, discharge from the nose and eyes appears, the cat refuses to eat, noticeably loses weight, and the cough becomes debilitating. If the animal has a strong immune system, the disease enters the chronic stage; periodic coughing, discharge, and small inflammatory lesions on the skin persist. With weak immunity, severe damage to the respiratory tract develops, which can kill the animal.

Dermatoses caused by environmental exposure

Among non-infectious skin diseases in cats, the leading ones are those caused by aggressive influences.

Burns

Cats often get burned by hot appliances. Most often, the paw pads, nose, and ears are affected. In other places, the pet's skin is protected by fur. Animals quickly learn to avoid hot surfaces, so thermal burns are quite rare.

Chemical damage is much more dangerous. They are caused by household chemicals and other strong-smelling substances that the cat comes into contact with. Wool relatively reliably protects the skin from damage, but the most severe burns are localized to the mucous membranes. The eyes (direct contact with a harmful substance), the respiratory tract (inhalation of poison), and the oral cavity (licking the affected fur) are affected.

Frostbite

Frequent injury in cats during the cold season. Animals that live on the street or often walk without the supervision of their owners are at risk. The most common cause is prolonged contact with snow, cold surfaces or air. One of the typical injuries of street cats is frostbitten ears. A more serious injury is frostbite of the tail and paws.

Bedsores

Bedsores occur in cats that are unable to move for a long time. May be a consequence of improper care of the pet. Stray cats suffer from bedsores when they get stuck in narrow spaces and are unable to escape for days.

Endoparasites

If you notice your pet constantly wanting to scratch a bare area, this may indicate the presence of endoparasites. For example, scratching with teeth or claws may occur in an animal due to unpleasant flea bites. In order to relieve the animal from unpleasant sensations, special solutions, sprays and drops for the withers are used. Treatment must be carried out several times in order to remove not only adult individuals from the fur, but also newly hatched larvae.

Of all the internal organs, the intestines are the most susceptible to parasite penetration. Antihelmintic drugs are excellent for removing worms from the body. However, if the case is advanced (for example, when infected with large worms), the cat may need surgical intervention.

Ear mites can be treated with drops and proper care for your pet. You will need to remove him from contact with stray animals and prohibit him from eating rodents and wild birds.

Malignant and benign tumors

Any tumor is the growth of cells beyond their normal location. New growths are clearly visible on the skin - they rise above the surface, hair falls out on them, and there may be other symptoms.

It is impossible to distinguish a benign tumor from a malignant one by description; this requires a cytological analysis.

Possible signs of a benign tumor:

Preserves the appearance, color, temperature of healthy skin.
It feels a little denser than healthy skin and is painless.
Does not grow or grows slowly.
Has little effect on the behavior and condition of the cat.

A benign tumor can be quite large and interfere with the animal - clinging to objects, disturbing balance, etc.

Possible signs of a malignant tumor:

Differs from the surrounding skin in color, density, irregular edges, no clear boundaries.
Hot and painful.
Ulcerations, inflammation, bleeding, active hair loss.
Fast growth.
The cat shows anxiety - licks, scratches the affected area, loses appetite, sleep, and loses weight.

You should contact your veterinarian in any case if you suspect a tumor.

Tumors are not transmitted to humans, so the owner of a sick cat can not fear anything and care for his pet without additional protective measures.

Congenital diseases

The most common congenital skin disease is albinism. This is the absence of any pigments in the fur, skin, eyes.

These cats look the same:

white wool, sometimes thin and untidy;
white paw pads, nose, skin under the fur;
white vibrissae;
pinkish ears;
red or pink eyes that glow dull red in the dark.

Albinos do not tolerate bright sunlight well and easily get sunburned, including on areas covered with fur. There is no cure for albinism.

More serious congenital diseases are dysplasia and lack of skin. In the first case, the formation of the hair follicle is disrupted. The fur becomes coarse or curls. This mutation served as the basis for some cat breeds. The congenital absence of skin or a significant area of skin in kittens is fatal.

Video “Skin disease - lichen in cats”

Ringworm is an infectious skin disease caused by the mold fungi Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton. It can affect both animals and humans. It is our mustachioed pets who are most vulnerable to it. Infection usually occurs from close contact with a sick individual.

However, pets are just as susceptible to ringworm as their stray counterparts. The fact is that fungal spores are very resistant to various environmental conditions. They are easily transported on our shoes, clothes, and penetrate with dust into the windows of our houses. At risk of infection are animals that are in a state of immune depression, have a poor diet, young kittens under 1 year old and older animals.

Symptoms

It is important to diagnose ringworm in a timely manner, because the treatment of all skin diseases, and ringworm is no exception, usually takes a long time. The main symptoms of ringworm are:

significant hair thinning;
the appearance of white flakes in the fur, “cat dander”;
Naturally, itching, the cat becomes less balanced and nervous;
the wool loses its attractiveness, becomes greasy and crumpled;
if the claws are damaged, they become deformed and become yellowish in color.

Treatment

Treatment of ringworm must be carried out immediately, because there is a high risk of infection for humans. In order to confidently say that it is lichen, veterinarians conduct a series of studies of skin particles. Treatment will consist of antifungal therapy, with Tiabendazole or Miconazole ointments applied topically.

Hereditary and acquired alopecia

Congenital alopecia is the absence of fur in a newborn kitten. In the future, hair will not appear. Such cats suffer from thermoregulation disorders, easily get skin injuries, scratch and scratch themselves. But this same pathology became the basis for hairless breeds.

Acquired alopecia develops as a consequence of other diseases. Most skin pathologies in cats cause hair loss. If the disease is accompanied by itching and the animal is constantly itching, then the process of hair loss accelerates. There is also alopecia of unknown origin, when the cause of hair loss cannot be determined.

Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are caused by overactivity of the immune system. It is less common in cats than in humans, but such lesions do occur. The disease may not manifest itself for a long time, and the first symptoms appear during stress - moving, changing food or tray filler, pregnancy. All autoimmune processes are incurable.

Eczema

The causes of eczema in cats are extremely varied. This pathology can occur against the background of other diseases, stress, hypothermia or overheating. The disease is chronic and cannot be completely eliminated.

The types of eczema are dry and weeping. With dry eczema, scales form and fall off on the skin, the hair becomes sparse, but does not fall out completely. When it gets wet, small blisters form, which burst, leaving behind small ulcers. This is a more dangerous form of the disease because it is often complicated by a bacterial infection.

Pemphigus foliaceus

The most common disease is pemphigus foliaceus. It manifests itself as large bubbles with transparent or bloody contents. They are usually localized on the muzzle. The blisters merge with each other, burst, and deep ulcerative defects remain in their place. The hair on the nearest areas of the skin falls out.

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus in cats occurs in the same way as in humans. The faces of sick people in the photo have a very characteristic appearance - an inflamed area in the form of butterfly wings. It is more difficult to discern the affected area on the cat's face, but a characteristic pattern appears, especially on the nose. The skin gradually becomes thin and easily damaged.

Skin lesions associated with allergies

Allergic dermatitis

Allergic reactions in cats can occur to grooming products, food, or environmental allergens such as pollen or flea bites. Scratching the head or neck is a common sign of allergies. Other symptoms of hypersensitivity include biting the paws and tail, and scratching the ears. Allergies can cause hair loss and appear anywhere on the body, including the stomach. There are various treatments to eliminate itching, but the best way is to avoid contact with allergens. To diagnose allergies, currently there is only a method for consistently eliminating possible allergens from a cat’s environment - treatment for ectoparasites and an exclusion diet.

Eosinophilic granuloma

If your cat develops sores or lesions on her nose or lips, she may have an allergic reaction known as eosinophilic granuloma. This reaction can occur anywhere on the body, but is most common on the face, paw pads and thighs. A food allergy or an allergy to flea saliva can cause the disease, but it can also result from a bacterial infection.

Skin diseases caused by hypersensitivity

Hyperesthesia or skin hypersensitivity syndrome is a disease of unknown etiology. It develops in adult animals or kittens. Manifested by skin tension and twitching. The cat licks itself endlessly, itches, but cannot get its fur in order. There are no signs of skin damage or hair loss. With hyperesthesia, the cat can cause serious scratches and bites to itself.

Lesions on the skin, fur, and mucous membranes of cats look very similar to each other. Photos online showing signs of illness will not help determine what happened to your pet. Tests are needed for an accurate diagnosis. The owner should prepare for the fact that the treatment will be long.

Flea dermatitis

Flea dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by flea bites and an allergic reaction to their saliva. The severity of symptoms does not always depend on the number of parasites; sometimes one bite is enough for an intense pathological process.

Symptoms:

Constant itching leading to scratching.
Hair loss and the appearance of small nodules, most often on the back, lower back, sacrum, abdomen and thighs.
Weeping areas in the natural folds of the skin (groin, armpits).
Areas of redness with papules that subsequently crust over
Hyperpigmentation.
Often scratches become contaminated with pathological microflora, causing bacterial or fungal infections that aggravate the animal’s condition.
The cat behaves restlessly, and in severe cases the appetite worsens.

Treatment:

1. Treat the animal with antiparasitic agents - drops, spray, shampoos. D

2. To kill fleas in the environment, insecticide solutions are used to wash bedding and rugs, wash floors, paying special attention to cracks and the space under baseboards.

3. To prevent scratching, put a protective collar on the cat and trim its claws. If the animal's itching was caused only by discomfort from flea bites and was not complicated by scratching or secondary infection, then no additional treatment is required.

In case of development of an allergic reaction and the presence of complications, the following drugs are additionally prescribed:

Corticosteroid hormones are the main remedy for eliminating itching and inflammation in flea dermatitis. They are used both systemically and in the form of local forms (shampoos, ointments). In case of secondary infection, they are not used; in extreme cases, occasional use in small doses is allowed, mainly in the form of local forms.

For severe itching and anxiety, sedatives are used.
Drying agents - prescribed when there are wet areas of the skin.
Antibacterial and antifungal agents - for minor scratching, they are used in the form of combined local preparations (for example, Sanoderm). When a secondary infection develops, systemic forms are prescribed.
Multivitamin complexes with biotin and fatty acids accelerate the restoration of skin and coat.

If there is significant damage to the skin, it is advisable to trim the cat. This will make it easier to care for and heal scratches, and subsequently uniform and healthy hair will grow back.

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