All fur parents know that their cat will encounter health problems at some point. However, one of the most common and annoying problems that they do face is cat skin problems.
One of these skin problems is dubbed pruritus which manifests as skin itchiness. But before you can find the correct remedy for cat scratching themselves, you will need to find the cause of the itching first.
Why do cat get itchy on their skin?
- Parasites – One of the reasons cats start scratching is that they may have fleas or mites. This condition is quite common among cats that are often outdoors, though indoor cats can also have such parasites. Your cat scratches if it has fleas because it reacts to flea saliva. So you need to remove all the fleas.
- Skin allergy – Your cat may develop atopy (also called atopic dermatitis), which is a form of skin allergy that is inherited.
- Food allergy – Your can may eat the wrong food, which leads to its itchiness. Cats might not eat protein foods like fish or chicken well.
The first thing you need to do is to determine the cause of your cat's condition to have the appropriate cat itchy skin treatment.
What are the tests to diagnose the cause of your cat's itchy skin?
1. Veterinary Examination
The best way to address any cat skin problems is for a vet to examine your pet. So if you take your cat to the vet, most likely, the vet will ask:
- What kind of food do you give your pet
- Where has your cat been lately
- If your cat has been exposed to chemicals or substances that could cause itching
Another option that your vet may choose is to conduct two kinds of tests – a biopsy and even intradermal allergy testing.
- The vet will do a biopsy if he suspects a skin disease.
- On the other hand, the vet may conduct an intradermal allergy test if a veterinary dermatologist can be consulted to interpret the results and spot the allergen.
In addition, the vet may take some skin scrapings and pluck some hair from the cat's skin and fur.
- Skin scrapings help to check for skin problems such as fungal or bacterial examinations.
- Hair plucks allow the vet to see if there are fleas or mites.
2. Fecal Examination
Your vet may recommend this to check for intestinal parasites. Sometimes, the immunity of your cat may decrease if there are parasites. The lower immunity can lead to skin infections such as fungal infections or bacterial infections.
3. Diet Trial
Your vet may initially recommend that your cat will be put on a diet trial. This means your cat will be eating certain special foods that have none of the ingredients of its regular feeding at your home. This will last for a certain period of time.
If the cat's itchiness disappears, then that indicates that your cat was allergic to its previous regular food. However, if the itchiness continues, there is no allergen in its previous regular diet.
4. Biochemical Profiling
The vet will request this blood test as a standard procedure for all cats. This helps the vet determine if there are any problems with your cat's internal organs.
This doesn't automatically tell your vet the root cause of the itchiness. But it does help the vet know if your cat is healthy enough to be treated with drugs for skin itchiness.
