{"id":21442,"date":"2021-01-22T10:26:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T15:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalvet.ca\/?page_id=21442"},"modified":"2022-03-03T14:28:44","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T19:28:44","slug":"cat-skin-conditions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/globalvet.ca\/en\/nutrition\/nutrition-cat\/cat-specialized\/cat-skin-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat skin conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Your cat\u2019s skin: A complex organ that acts as a natural barrier<\/h2>\n<p>Skin is your cat\u2019s largest organ. Its complex structure allows it to act as a shield that protects their body against:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dehydration<\/li>\n<li>Infection<\/li>\n<li>Parasites<\/li>\n<li>The sun<\/li>\n<li>Environmental irritants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fur grows from hair follicles that are part of the skin\u2019s structure, so your cat\u2019s skin and coat health are closely connected.<\/p>\n<p>Various factors can have an impact on the appearance and health of your cat\u2019s skin, the 3 main ones being:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genetics<\/li>\n<li>Environment<\/li>\n<li>Diet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Diagnosing a skin condition can be difficult in cats because the signs are pretty much the same regardless of the cause:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dull coat<\/li>\n<li>Excess hair loss\n<ul>\n<li>Which can lead to bald patches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Itching\n<ul>\n<li>You may notice your cat over-grooming or scratching more than normal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Skin lesions such as:\n<ul>\n<li>Dandruff<\/li>\n<li>Scabs<\/li>\n<li>Rashes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What causes skin problems in cats? Any number of things. External factors include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An environment that\u2019s too dry or too humid<\/li>\n<li>Parasites<\/li>\n<li>Bacterial and fungal infections such as ringworm<\/li>\n<li>Irritants like:\n<ul>\n<li>Dust<\/li>\n<li>Contact with certain plants<\/li>\n<li>Certain materials<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Then there are internal factors such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An allergy or hypersensitivity to pollen or dust mites<\/li>\n<li>An adverse reaction to certain ingredients<\/li>\n<li>Chronic illness or a hormone imbalance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a protective barrier, your cat\u2019s skin needs to stay healthy despite regular assaults on many fronts, e.g., from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Flea bites<\/li>\n<li>Dehydration from living in a dry environment<\/li>\n<li>Dust<\/li>\n<li>Inflammation triggered by an allergic reaction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To counter these attacks, your cat\u2019s skin is constantly renewing itself. If it\u2019s damaged, it\u2019s more vulnerable to infection and won\u2019t be able to grow that healthy, shiny coat you love to pet. To stay healthy and keep producing new cells, your cat\u2019s skin needs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Protein<\/li>\n<li>Essential fatty acids\n<ul>\n<li>Acids that your cat has to get from their diet because they can\u2019t be synthesized by the body<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Vitamins<\/li>\n<li>Minerals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A high-fat diet has the added benefit of improving the appearance of kitty\u2019s coat, but proceed with caution! Fats are higher in calories than proteins and carbohydrates. So be sure to serve a well-balanced diet to keep your cat from putting on the pounds. For more information, read our page on <a href=\"https:\/\/globalvet.ca\/en\/nutrition\/nutrition-cat\/cat-specialized\/cat-weight-management\/\"><u>Maintaining your cat\u2019s weight<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The key thing to remember is that a complete, well-balanced diet is essential to maintaining your cat\u2019s skin and overall health.<\/p>\n<p>Not to worry: A special diet designed to promote skin health can help tremendously. And your veterinary team is standing by to help you choose the right one for your feline friend. Your veterinarian is in the best position to recommend the food that will best meet your cat\u2019s specific needs.<\/p>\n<p>Skin conditions can be very uncomfortable. But you and your cat can both get some relief with vet-recommended foods formulated for dermatological disorders.<\/p>\n<p>For more on the benefits of nutrition for coat and skin health, read these posts on the Royal Canin website:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.royalcanin.com\/ca\/en_ca\/cats\/health-and-wellbeing\/how-your-cats-diet-affects-its-skin-health\">How your cat\u2019s diet affects its skin health<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.royalcanin.com\/us\/cats\/health-and-wellbeing\/my-cat-is-losing-its-hair\">My cat is losing its hair<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your cat\u2019s skin: A complex organ that acts as a natural barrier Skin is your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":14869,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/nutrition.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-21442","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Globalvet | Skin conditions in your cat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Does your cat have skin problems? 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