Itching in the cat – causes and treatments

Every pet, like its owner, is sometimes scratching – and this is perfectly natural. However, we can see excessive linen, the intense rubbing of different objects and the owners are often addressed to the veterinarian with their cat, which because of the constant scratch, has already managed to damage their skin. There are many causes of itching, some can be observed with the naked eye, such as fleas, others require careful diagnosis. What to attract attention and when to go to a veterinary consultation?

What are the symptoms of itching in cats?

The symptoms that should worry can be very different. Initially, it is possible not to attract attention to the increase in need, because sometimes our cat only wants to roll innocent and rub and mobile. Over time, as the itching intensifies, our attention is generally attracted by the intense lick and scratch, which leads to irritation and redness of the skin and even self -harm. If our cat is withdrawn or we don’t have too much time to observe its behavior, we can only see the stains and damage of the skin. If the lesions are on the head, apart from the scratch, we can also attract attention to the smoothies of the head and ears. Each disturbing symptom deserves the penalty to consult the vet, because a rapid diagnosis significantly shortens every possible treatment and will save your pet from unpleasant symptoms.

What to do when the cat scratches too much?

The main association with the owners when I see scratching the animal, is the infestation of fleas and begins with the administration of an anti-finale preparation. For this reason, the cat usually reaches the veterinary office after many days from the beginning of the alarming symptoms, when the teacher concludes that, for example, the drops have had no effect. Unfortunately, there are many causes of itching and skin injuries in cats and usually require more complex diagnosis and treatment. Most of the time, the suspicions of the owner relating to external parasites are confirmed, but this does not always involve an infestation with easy control fleas. On the skin of our animal you can nourish lice and the epidermis can contain small parasites, such as scabies (depending on the species, the lesions are on the skin or inside the ear) or representatives of Cheylettiella spp. In the case of diagnosis of parasites located in the epidermis, it is necessary to scrape for the skin, because they must not examine. However, apart from parasites, we can often face skin infections, usually bacterial, fungal or mixed. These diseases require immediate treatment to limit the spread of pathogens on the skin and the rest of the body. The diagnosis is used in microscopic tests, as well as in bacterium and mycological laboratory tests, to identify the concrete pathogen and to select the optimal treatment method. It is not necessary to carry out a treatment on its own, because it usually does not work great results and can lead to the development of resistance to microorganisms to medicines used inappropriately.

The causes of itching in the cat

The itching of the cat may not be related to the presence of unwanted guests on his skin. During the cold period of the year, when we heat up at home, it can be caused by the drying of the skin and in situations of excessive stress, the cat can therefore download its emotional tension. In the case of genetic predisposition, it can be an increasingly common problem: allergies on different funds. You can face allergic dermatitis to the puncture of fleas, atopic dermatitis or food allergy. In the case of food allergies, the changes usually occur in the area of ​​the head and neck and sometimes small bumps are displayed on the skin. Usually, symptoms appear 2-3 weeks after changing food, although it is not a rule, because many years of feeding as the same proteins predispose to an unwanted reaction to it.

To identify an allergen, it is usually recommended to eliminate the diet to exclude the allergen from the pet diet. In the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis caused by environmental allergens, such as pollen or mushrooms, symptoms usually occur seasonally and manifest themselves on the head, neck, chest and sometimes the front legs. In the case of atopic dermatitis, allergic tests that allow desensitization are particularly useful. In the case of allergies to the puncture of fleas, the changes are characteristic and are on the back, in the lumbosacral region of the spine. In the case of this disease, the complex protection against the infestation with fleas is very important, usually consists in the combination of insecticides with repellents against fleas.

As you can see, the causes of itching in our cats can be both easy to diagnose and very complex in evaluating their cause and treatment. We should not underestimate the first symptoms, since this will facilitate the evaluation of their cause by the vet and simplify the treatment.

The texts on the blog are not medical advice and do not replace the visit to the vet.

Dorota jóskowiak