Monitor your cat's skin problems

 The coat is often rightly considered to be a reflection of your pet's health. While it is normal for a cat to shed during moults, if the shedding is excessive, prolonged, leaves areas of skin bare or if your cat shows any other symptoms (skin or non-skin symptoms: itching, redness, pimples, loss of appetite, weight loss), you should pay close attention.

Coat health and shedding

The hair is the basic element of the cat's coat. It is made up of a part buried in the dermis (the follicle) which corresponds to the root of the hair and a visible part (the shaft) made up of a protein called keratin. The hair is the visible reflection of the state of health of your pet: dull, dry, and sparse hair is always a sign of an abnormality.

It is important to know that hair grows and then dies and falls out all the time. It is therefore normal for a pet to lose hair.

However, at certain times of the year, there is an increase in the amount of hair lost, these are called seasonal shedding. Molting occurs in the autumn (replacement of the summer coat by a fuller winter coat) and in the spring (loss of the winter coat). Moulting is more important, or at least more impressive, for long-haired cats. When giving birth or during pregnancy, it is also common to have an increase in the amount of hair shedding, this is not a cause for concern.

Please note that for animals that live indoors a lot, the natural hair cycle is disturbed due to the more or less constant temperatures in our homes throughout the year, as well as artificial lighting. It is therefore not uncommon for owners to complain that their cats lose their hair throughout the year.

Diet also contributes to a beautiful coat. Poor nutrition is often the cause of a dull coat and heavy shedding.

Protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins (A and biotin) are the elements that promote healthy skin and coat. In extreme cases (malnutrition), the lack of some of these elements can cause massive hair loss. Food allergies can also be a factor in hair loss: food allergies in domestic carnivores often manifest themselves in skin symptoms such as hair loss, itching, and red patches.

The key to keeping your pet's coat looking good is to provide a complete and balanced diet.

However, there are many diseases of which one of the symptoms is a loss of hairs, this one being able to be generalized (one notes then an increase in the quantity of hairs which fall and a less filled coat), or localized with certain zones of depilations. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive.

Note that the type of hair loss is an important diagnostic factor. However, care must be taken not to confuse "primary" hair loss, i.e. due to a direct attack on the hair, with "secondary" hair loss, which would be the consequence of frantic licking or scratching, resulting in a torn or broken hair. In this second case, it is the cause of the itching that must be treated.

Parasitic diseases: common causes of hair loss

Some parasites develop at the expense of the hair, causing it to die and fall out:

• Ringworm is the development of a microscopic fungus in the hair sheath. This fungus feeds on the keratin of the hair, causing round, hairless areas on the head, back, or thighs. Itching is rare. Beware, as ringworm is a fairly common disease, highly contagious to other animals, and can be transmitted to humans in some cases. Many cats are asymptomatic carriers of ringworm (i.e. they are healthy, without hair loss) and can transmit it to other animals.
• Many skin parasites cause secondary hair loss as a result of intense itching. This is the case, for example, with mange, caused by mites. Demodecia is a disease caused by a parasitic mite of the hair follicle (Demodex sp.). It is rare in cats and usually affects weakened or immunocompromised animals. It can sometimes be found in kittens from poorly maintained catteries. Demodecia starts with localised hair loss (muzzle, around the eyes, and mouth) and is not accompanied by itching. It is important to know that Siamese or Burmese cats are predisposed to feline demodecia.
• The most common case of secondary hair loss due to parasitic disease in cats is Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). This is an allergy to flea saliva: a single flea bite can cause frenzied licking and scratching, sometimes to the point of blood. This results in the pulling out and shedding of hair, localised to certain areas such as the thighs or the lower back (croup). This is why regular flea treatment of the animals and, if necessary, of their environment is essential.

And many other causes

Behavioural disorders

In stressed, hypersensitive or very distressed animals, frantic licking behaviour can sometimes be observed (most often under the belly and on the flanks). This is known as neurodermatosis.

This licking can then cause skin irritation and hair loss, resulting in red oozing patches that can become infected. In this case, the psychological disorder must be diagnosed and treated.

Allergies

These are phenomena of hypersensitivity to different agents, called allergens. There are different allergens in cats. Among the most common are: flea saliva, house dust mites and pollen. These are mainly inhaled allergens (except for flea bites), but there are also food allergies and contact allergies, which are somewhat rarer. The symptoms are a strong itch with the appearance of red patches. Hair loss is secondary.

Hormonal diseases

Hair growth is under hormonal control. This is why, when there is an abnormality in the secretion of certain hormones, skin disorders are among the many symptoms. This is generally a widespread, bilateral and symmetrical loss of hair on the flanks and back, often accompanied by a change in the consistency of the skin (thinning or, on the contrary, thickening, dryness, dandruff). While this is often a warning sign to suspect certain diseases in dogs, it is more rare in cats.

Rare diseases

Some very rare diseases, often of immunological origin, cause more or less important depilation. They are diagnosed by skin sampling and histological analysis (under the microscope).