March 18th, 2012 by KittyKitty
Pretty much every kitten and cat will have some type of genetic, bacterial or parasite related skin lumps, bumps and pimples over the course of their lifetime.
Sharing your apartment with one of more cats? Beware that they might have a close up and private problem with cat skin issues. In most cases, dermal conditions are aptly cared for by consulting with a veterinarian. The point is, that with just about all red skin areas, pimples, neoplasms, and other unexpected areas with hair loss and discoloration on your cat’s body, it’s best to check with the veterinarian, to rule out anything serious.
More often than not, most of the lesions and raised lumps on your feline are due to old age. The older the cat, the greater the possibility you’ll find noticable skin issues.
The most typical cat skin conditions are:
- Wheals which are raised areas that most often heal rapidly, with the origin frequently unknown
- Macules are an area of the skin that’s another color
- Cancerous tissue mass is often hard and not moveable
- Pustules are raised areas filled with pus
- Vesicles are a lump under your cat’s first skin layer
- Papules are referred to as an elevated welt
- Nodules are elevated lumps on the skin
- Contact dermatitis is the result of rubbing against something that disagrees with them
- Feline acne around the face and jaw, is usually from rubbing to mark their territory
- Cat allergy is a rash is triggered by flea bites
As you can see, there are many causes for cat skin issues and many of them panic their human family with the idea that their companion may have a malignancy. While it is true that some of the lumps your kitty may display might be a neoplasm, the vast majority of them are not. But chatting with the vet is the right place to start. You may find out the lump is a benign growth, a hematoma or fatty lump, called a lipoma. To explain, don’t jump to the worst scenario first.
Quite often almost all of the lumps and other weird skin tags, nodules and the like are hypoallergnic in nature, which means you need to evaluate what you are feeding your cat. Cats are meat eaters, and most of the cat diets on the market is grain based; something that gives many cats skin, coat, eye, ear and other conditions. Check the labels first, as a point of initial investigation. There are many available holistic brands on the market that offer your cat a better balanced, healthier and more nutritional meal, than grain based kibble.
If food turns out to be not the the trigger for the skin condition, you might want to test for fleas, mites and ringworm and/or fungus related illnesses. These are tough to find in all that fur, and frequently you may miss the incontrovertible fact your feline has a skin issue, unless you see them itching. Ideally, take a look at your cat over from front to back by brushing thru theirhair, at least once a week.
If you suspect or notice something that won’t heal, when it looks like something that should, this too is something that you need to check in with your vet on. A lack of healing could signal anything from immunological response inadequacies to cancer. Don’t second guess, disqualify what it is not, find out what it is and move on veterinary dermatologist or other specialist if needed.
Treatment for kitty skin conditions is varied , depending on what the condition is, though frequently it may include medicine, shampoo therapy, topical skin remedies antihistamines, steroids, ointments, antibiotics (topica, oral or via injection), sprays, soaps and patches. No matter what it is, follow all of the instructions and complete the course of treatment. This typically makes sure the issue doesn't return. If it does return, it could be a problem with the dosage, medication chose, or diagnosis. This would also indicate that more advanced labs are indicated.
If you're not a fan of medicine for your kitty, there are numerous natural products which will work for your feline. Bear in mind that natural products also have issues such as allergic reactions so be sure to do some research before providing an alternative treatment.
The editor, Cathy Doggins, is a familiar contributor to many internet sites on feline skin problems. Cathy is also well known for her writing on cat and kitten medical conditions as featured in the Cat Health Guide.