How to treat cat dermatitis

Got an itchy cat or noticing scabs on your cat? If you’ve noticed that your cat has been scratching a lot lately or obsessively licking and grooming herself more than usual, you might have a case of cat dermatitis on your hands. Dermatitis is a general term that refers to inflammation of the skin. This inflammation is usually caused by allergies and is very itchy.

How can you tell if your kitty has cat dermatitis?  

A cat with dermatitis might scratch, lick or chew on her skin, making the situation worse. You might see lesions, bumps, crusting, scabbing, redness and hair loss. Sometimes, a cat’s entire belly might become bald.

Most often, though, you might not see anything at all, especially if your cat has a lot of hair. “Inside the ears is one of the places where cats will scratch a lot where people may not necessarily notice, but there are some areas right in front of the ears where you might see some scratches,” notes Aimee Simpson, V.M.D., medical director of VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia. “You might notice that the cat seems kind of preoccupied, where every time she lies down she’s kind of chewing at herself.”

Most commonly, feline dermatitis is caused by an allergy to one of three things: fleas, food or environmental allergens like pollens and molds. To effectively treat your cat’s itchy skin, your vet first must determine the cause.

Let’s look at those three types of cat dermatitis: 

1. Flea-Allergy Dermatitis

“Flea-allergy dermatitis, from the saliva from flea bites, is very common,” Dr. Simpson says. “It tends to be more of a seasonal issue that’s worse in the warmer months, but depending on which area of the country you’re living in, that might vary. It’s definitely more of a concern for outdoor cats and indoor/outdoor cats.”

Luckily, flea-allergy dermatitis is pretty easy to solve — get rid of the fleas, and you’ll get rid of the itchiness. Any itchy cat, especially one with signs of a flea infestation, should be on year-round flea control. “We always recommend flea medications that are prescribed by a veterinarian, rather than the over-the-counter pesticide products,” Dr. Simpson advises. “The medications that we carry are just more effective and safer. It might take three to six months to get rid of fleas in the household, so that flea allergy might take just as long to resolve.”

2. Food-Allergy Dermatitis

A second common cause of cat dermatitis is food allergies. This type of skin reaction occurs when a cat is allergic to certain proteins in her food. It’s possible for a cat to develop food allergies at any point in life, even if she has been eating the same food for years with no issues.

“If we’ve ruled out flea allergy, we can also do a food allergy trial, which involves feeding a cat a special prescription diet,” Dr. Simpson explains. “We usually choose a hydrolyzed protein, which is basically whole proteins that are broken down into pieces that are too small to cause allergic reactions. If we feed only that diet for somewhere between four to 12 weeks, that will help us rule out a food allergy.”

To get accurate results, cats who are doing a food trial can only eat the special prescription diet for the duration of the trial. That means no other food, including treats, table food and flavored medications. If the cat’s skin improves on the diet, then a food allergy is usually the cause of the cat’s dermatitis, and keeping the cat on the prescription diet should manage the condition.

3. Atopic Dermatitis

The third most common type of feline dermatitis is atopic dermatitis, which means that the cat is reacting to an allergen in the environment, such as pollen, mold or grass.

“If we’ve ruled out fleas and we’ve ruled out food allergies, and if we still are left with an itchy cat with skin lesions, then we default to environmental allergy,” Dr. Simpson says. “It’s harder to diagnose in cats than it is in dogs or in people because we don’t do a lot of allergy skin testing in cats. They’re very reactive to everything, so it’s hard to determine exactly what might be the problem.”

This type of allergy is harder to manage since you usually can’t eliminate these things from the cat’s environment. In most cases, cats need to take daily medications for life. “That could be a steroid, which is a good anti-inflammatory medication,” Dr. Simpson says. “Certainly, there are side effects with chronic steroids, but they work very well in cats, and most cats tolerate them pretty well. There are also some other medications that we can add in, including certain antihistamines and a prescription medication called Atopica, which is cyclosporine, an immunomodulatory drug that also helps cats with these hypersensitivity reactions.”

For severe cases of atopic dermatitis that don’t respond well to treatment, allergy injections, (called hyposensitization or allergen-specific immunotherapy) are another — albeit more expensive— option. If you wish to explore this option, a veterinary dermatologist is your best bet.

A final word on cat dermatitis:

Skin lesions might not always indicate cat dermatitis. “Other — sometimes more serious — things can look a lot like allergic dermatitis, including ringworm, mites (scabies), cutaneous lymphoma (cancer) and Pemphigus foliaceous (an immune-mediated disease), so it’s always best to have any cat skin issues checked by a veterinarian,” Dr. Simpson advises.

Thumbnail: Photography ©foaloce | Thinkstock. 

Read more about cat health on Catster.com:

Overview
Skin problems are among the most common troubles for dogs and cats. They can be caused by a variety of diseases, one of the most common being allergies. Allergies that affect the skin are grouped together under the term allergic dermatitis.

As with people, our pets can suffer allergies related to the food they eat and the environment they live in. Additionally, they can have an allergic reaction to the bites of fleas and other parasites.

Signs
More often than not, allergic reactions in cats affect the skin.

• Itchy skin, especially around the face and feet
• Foul odor
• Red bumps or scaly areas
• Bumps that resemble acne
• Darkened skin that feels thicker than usual
• Thinning or loss of hair
• Stained fur due to excessive licking
• Frequent shaking of head

Diagnosis/Treatment
If your cat is scratching incessantly, it's time to visit your veterinarian! Because itchy skin also can be caused by conditions other than allergies, your veterinarian may want to rule out the other potential causes, such as parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, or systemic diseases.

Tests can include a thorough physical examination; evaluation for external parasites such as fleas or mites; skin tests to rule out fungal, yeast, or bacterial infections; and others, such as blood tests and urinalysis, to determine if your pet has a systemic disease.

Once your veterinarian determines that your cat has allergies, the next step will be to find out under which category they fall.

Food allergies
Food allergies are common, can affect cats of any age, and represent approximately 10% of all allergic conditions. After performing food trials to determine what ingredient your cat is allergic to, treatment involves feeding a diet that does not contain that ingredient.

Environmental allergies
Another common form of allergy is caused by exposure to environmental allergens your cat either breathes in or absorbs through the skin. In people terms, we call this “hay fever.” Common allergens include house-dust mites; pollen, grasses, and weeds; and a variety of molds. While allergies often give people runny noses, they usually make cats itchy.

Your itchy pet may benefit from topical treatment including cool baths, medicated shampoos and conditioners, and soothing sprays. If your cat has mild allergies, she may be treated with antihistamines or omega-3 fatty acids. More severe cases may require stronger medications such as prednisone or allergy shots.

Flea allergies
Flea allergy is the most common skin disease in cats (and dogs).  It is also called flea bite hypersensitivity because it is caused be an allergic (or hypersensitivity) reaction to flea saliva.  Fleas are very common and live both on your pet and in the environment.  All pets in a household where there are fleas will be infested. In addition to causing allergies in susceptible cats, they can also transmit other diseases.

Treatment for flea allergies involves eliminating fleas from your cat and the environment using products recommended by your veterinarian that are effective against all stages of fleas-from eggs to adults.  To control itching your veterinarian might prescribe various medications including antihistamines, omega-3 fatty acids, prednisone and others.

Prevention
While there is no way to prevent allergic dermatitis, treatment is often very effective once the type of allergy has been determined. Check your pet often for fleas and watch for signs such as scratching or excessive grooming. If you suspect your cat may have skin allergies, contact your veterinarian right away. Early diagnosis and treatment will keep your pet’s symptoms from becoming severe.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian – they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.