Does your cat seem to be constantly itching and biting their skin? Are they losing more and more hair every day? If so, your cat probably has a skin or hair disorder. Skin and hair problems in cats are very common, and sometimes go unnoticed. Recognizing when there is a problem, and treating it as soon as possible, will help your cat live a full and happy life.

Causes of Hair Loss in Cats

There are a variety of factors that can cause your cat to lose their hair. Stress is one of the most common causes of hair loss in felines. When cats are stressed out they over groom themselves and remove too much hair. Allergies are also a common cause of hair loss. If your cat seems to suddenly start losing hair, it could be the result of a change in their environment or a change in diet.

Beside stress and allergies, there are a several diseases and disorders that will cause your cat to lose hair. Some of these conditions are listed below:

• Cushing’s Disease is a comon cause of hair loss, that is usually recognized by the way your cat will lose their hair. Unlike other conditions that cause hair loss, cats with Cushing?s Disease will lose their hair in the same spot on both sides of their body. Your cat may also seem very bothered when you touch their skin or pet them.

• Addison’s Disease is the result of a significant decrease in adrenal activity, causing a change in skin color, hair loss, and lethargy. This disease is usually brought on by a more severe problem, such as cancer or lymphosarcoma. Fortunately, this disease is not very common in cats.

• Hyperthyroidism is the most common cause of hair loss in cats. Symptoms include: weight loss, excesive urination, and drinking unusully large amounts of water.

• Hypothroidism is a condition caused by a hormone imbalance, causing the cat to bite and lick their skin until their skin is dry, and hair begins to fall out. Symptoms of Hypothroidism include: weight gain, and having a very dry hair and skin.

Feline Skin Disorders

Identifying what type of skin disorder you cat has can be very difficult, since many of the disorders have symptoms that include: dry skin, itching, and hair loss. Here are some of the more common problems:

• Ringworm is a fungus that infects the skin, causing your cat to itch excessivly, often resulting in hair loss. Your cat will usually experience redness and scaling skin at the site of the infection.
• Fleas are probably the most common cause of itchy skin on your cat. Fleas bite your cat’s skin, causing them to itch excessively and give them dry, red skin.
• Food allergies are also a common cause of dry and itchy skin.

While indoor cats who live with other cats may occasionally fight, it’s rarely serious. Outdoor cats, especially males who haven’t been neutered are much more likely to have serious fights over territory. When a cat is bitten, the resulting wound can close, trapping bacteria inside. This causes an abscess.

What is an Abscess?

Since cat’s teeth are fairly long and narrow, cat bite wounds often heal quickly at the skin surface. However, the bacteria from the cat’s mouth becomes trapped inside the cat, and turns into an infection. Pus fills the wound and can cause painful swelling.

What Are Symptoms of an Abscess?

Your cat may have small, painful, swollen areas, usually on the neck, head, legs and around the tail. The cat may try to bite if you press on the sore area. Lethargy and lack of appetite are other symptoms, and you cat may have a fever.

Treatment of Cat?s Abscesses

You can treat an abscess at home, however if your cat seems seriously ill, you should bring it to the vet.

Home Treatment of Abscesses

At home, determine the location of any abscesses. Your cat probably has more than one. Trim the hair around the area to see if it is draining. If it’s not, apply a washcloth with hot water to the area for twenty minutes a couple times each day until the abscess begins to drain. Clean it with hydrogen peroxide two to three times a day; be sure to prevent a scab from forming. If the area doesn’t stop draining within two days, or if it stops eating, be sure to take it to the vet.

How Will My Vet Treat an Abscess?

The vet will numb the area and trim the surrounding fur. A small incision will be made to drain the abscess, and it will be flushed with hydrogen peroxide. The wound should stay open to prevent bacteria from again being closed up inside. The vet may insert a small tube if the wound needs to be sewn shut. The tube will allow for continued drainage and air flow. Antibiotics may be prescribed.

Possible Infections

If your cat has been in a fight with another cat, the vet will want to check for rabies, Bartonella, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. If your cat is an outdoor cat, be sure it is spayed or neutered and has up-to-date shots and vaccines. Check your cat regularly for and swelling or sore areas. Be sure to watch your cat’s behavior; poor appetite, weight loss, swelling, or reluctance to be picked up are all signs of illness. It’s up to you to notice when your cat is sick.

Is your dog driving you crazy with his constant itching and scratching? It can be just a nuisance to you, but it can be painful to your dog. Just like humans, dogs can get dry skin. When a dog has dry skin, they feel irritated and uncomfortable. This can result in excessive biting or licking in problem areas, creating sores or bleeding.

The dry skin can also be a menace for pet owners, since dry and flaking skin can end up scattered all over the house. It is important for dog owners to recognize the symptoms of dry skin, so they can help them. Understanding the cause of dry skin is the best way to prevent it.

Causes

Dry skin can be caused by several factors, including: An improper diet (which does not give your dog the fatty acids it needs), excessive bathing and environmental factors. Weather, particularly during winter months when there is low humidity, is a common season for dogs to have dry, itchy skin.

It is sometimes difficult to determine the cause of your dog’s dry skin, especially if it is caused by an allergy. Dogs can be allergic to a variety of things, usually found in their food. Often times, a low cost dog food can be the cause of a dog’s skin problems.

More than dry skin?

In some cases, your dog may have more severe problems than just dry skin. Your dog may be having an allergic reaction, be infected by a parasite, or have an infection. If you notice any open sores, bumps, or excessive hair loss, this is a sure sign that there are other problems present. If your dog has any open sores, scratches or bleeding on his body, it is important you seek veterinary help, before it becomes worse.

Treatment

Fortunately, there is relief for both pets and pet owners! There are numerous ways in which combat your dog’s dry and itchy skin. Brushing your dog regularly, to remove the dead hair and skin, will help their skin to produce more of the oils that it needs. Brushing also helps to improve blood flow to the skin which can help in the healing process. Putting a humidifier in your house may also help, but does not usually solve the problem.

Often times, simply changing the type of food you give your dog helps a lot. Changing your dog’s diet can give them the oils that they are missing, which will assist in healing their dry skin problem and also give them a nice shiny coat!

Another important thing you can do is not over bathe your dog. This will remove oils on their body and cause their skin to dry out even more.