Natural Pet Health

An expert can ascertain the general health of a pet simply by keenly observing the skin and coat. Dry skin tends to spoil the glossy coat and often leads to excessive itching and scratching in pets.

Before you do anything about it, it is advisable that you ensure that the dry skin and the resultant itching is not a result of parasitic infection, immune mediated diseases, allergy or bacterial and fungal infection. Such disorders require immediate attention of a veterinarian and are better treated systematically.

Conditions like dog or cat dandruff, flaking dry skin and canine or feline acne can be addressed with diet supplements, healthy nutritional diet and medication.

Pets are lovely creatures to have at home. They are fun to play with and provide useful company to humans. However, health concerns can pose lot of challenges to pet owners. Although skin and coat problems in pets appear harmless they can be instrumental in producing complications that may be difficult to handle later. Cats, for example are know to develop feline hair loss and cat dandruff that can sometimes lead to bacterial infections.

Dogs also suffer from issues like acne, hair loss and dandruff. In fact they can contract many more skin and hair related diseases. And therefore any veterinarian will tell you that the most common complaint that he hears from dog owners is excessive itching and scratching due to some skin infection or another.

The condition of the skin and coat is an indicator of the general health of your pet. Other than specific skin conditions like cat dandruff and feline acne or serious immune mediated cat and dog skin problems, internal health issues also reflect on the skin and coat of your pet.

Most of these health conditions lead to canine and feline hair loss. The situation is more challenging if you have a canine pet since most reeds shed hair naturally to a large extent during certain times of the year. Natural hair loss combined with hair loss due to ailments can pose a major problem for pet owners. Cleaning floors, carpets and furniture can become a more arduous task than it already is. Vacuum cleaners are the obvious choice for house cleaning but many times it has been noticed that the cat and dog hair do not get completely sucked up by the machine. Some useful tips for removing pet hair can save you time and money.

Your cat’s skin has two types of glands in the dermal layer. The sweat glands that keep the body temperature in check and the sebaceous glands that secrete a greasy substance called sebum. The sebum is a source of one of the most common cat skin diseases that we know as feline acne.

Sebaceous glands are present in large numbers under the skin on the chin, lips, top surface of the base of the tail, prepuce and scrotum of cats. Sebum secretions from these glands are primarily meant to protect hair against water and keep the skin supple.

The condition of skin and coat is an important indicator of your pet cat’s general health. Many common cat and dog skin problems are similar to human skin afflictions. Cat dandruff is the most discussed cat skin disorders.

But feline hair loss seems to be the most prevalent reason behind frequent visits to the veterinarian. Alopecia, the medical term for hair loss, in cats is also a symptom that is common to numerous cat skin disorders and diseases.

At an overall level the frequency of skin diseases like dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) is lower in cats as compared to dogs. Irrespective of how often it happens, the fact of the matter is that once the skin problems starts, it is equally uncomfortable for cats and dogs alike. And excessive hair loss is actually a symptom of some deeper disorder that the pet is probably suffering from.

Of all the body organs, the skin is not only the biggest but also the most problematic organ of the cat’s body. Most medical conditions demonstrate symptoms that relate to skin and coat. In addition external factors like physical trauma and parasites can also affect the skin in a significant manner.

Like dog skin problems, cats can also suffer from skin disorders that are self limiting and chronic conditions that require treatment over a protracted period of time.

Pruritus: The Itchy Cat

Itching brings forth almost an amazing array of changes in a cat’s skin. Constant itching can make it impossible for the veterinarian to ascertain whether the skin condition has caused the itching or whether the excessive itching has caused the skin lesions. Besides itching, pruritus causes symptoms like symmetrical feline hair loss, damage to skin due to intense scratching and Miliary dermatitis.

From minor conditions like cat dandruff to malignant tumors, a cat’s skin can be a reflection of nearly all kinds of medical conditions. Itchy skin can potentially lead to feline hair loss, feline acne and lick granulomas. Treating skin disorders in cats, therefore, depends mainly on the underlying health condition of the cat.

Skin conditions that are caused by flea infestations can be treated by killing adult fleas in the cat. Preventing re-infestation needs a more thorough approach wherein the fleas are eliminated completely from the surrounding environment. There are new products available that act only on the receptors present in insects and are safe for cats as well as kittens.

Alopecia or hair loss is associated with an overwhelming majority of skin disorders in pets. Practically all domesticated animals face hair loss problems but cats and dogs are among the most seriously affected. Most common conditions like feline hair loss are due to feline acne and feline dandruff.

Dogs on the other hand loose hair due to many more reasons. The multiplicity of reasons behind canine hair loss makes it difficult for the specialist to sift normal hair loss from that associated with a major ailment.

The most common cause of dog skin problems like alopecia is allergic reactions. These can occur due to:

Cats are excellent at self-grooming. Besides other reasons, they groom to heal wounds and minor abrasions with the ‘antiseptic saliva’. However, the cat tongue is rough and during the process quite a few loose or dead hair tend to stick to it, which are then swallowed. Hair tissue is not easily digestible and accumulates in the cat’s stomach or intestinal tract, forming what we know as a ‘hair ball’. A cat retches out the hair ball when it irritates the stomach. If the hair balls do not pass out with stools, they can block the intestinal tract leading to loss of appetite, constipation and weight loss.

As a pet owner, you probably revel in showing off the great looks of your pet. You like to boast about the tricks that they can perform. You are probably also very proud of the fact that your pet is clean, hygienic and has a great skin and fur.

But this source of pride can cause serious concerns if proper care is not taken to maintain good skin health.
Feline acne and feline hair loss are common occurrences in cats. Dogs, on the other hand, face more skin and hair related problems that can occur due to multiple conditions.

The dog skin problems that a pet owner can face are almost unlimited. Skin problems can be caused due to a variety of reasons. The final diagnosis of the problem can only happen keeping the other symptoms in mind.