 A cat's skin acts as a barrier between their body and the outside world. If a cat has a skin condition, that barrier can be impaired. It weakens their body's defenses, and in many cases, generates a severe amount of discomfort. Since a cat's skin is one of the few organs we can see pretty easily with a naked eye, cat's skin disease is easy to spot. However, there are hundreds of causes of skin disease in cats, so the only way to know for sure is by taking your cat to the vet. Cat's skin conditions, signs and possible causes. A bump, a rash, a scab, a patch, there are almost as many words to describe cat's skin disorders as there are skin issues themselves. Unfortunately, the way a particular skin disease shows up does not neatly align with the underlying cause. That's why it's not usually possible for a vet to make a diagnosis based on just a picture of your cat's skin. And to further complicate things, there's usually more than one symptom present at a time. Microscopic and laboratory testing are usually recommended to determine the underlying cause of cat's skin disease. However, it's still a good idea to take pictures of the problem, especially over time. These pictures can be useful in at least narrowing down the underlying cause of your cat's skin condition. Although achieving a diagnosis can often be time-consuming, it is ideal to figure out the cause of your cat's symptom so that the treatments can be targeted toward that cause. Here are some of the most common cat's skin conditions, signs to look for, and possible causes. Hair loss. One of the most common and most obvious signs of feline skin disease is hair loss. Pet parents are quick to notice when their cat is developing a bald patch or two. Hair loss can be divided into two distinct symptoms, alopecia and barboring. Alopecia. Alopecia refers to a thinning or total loss of hair at the level of the hair follicle. With alopecia, if you run your hand over the area of hair loss, it will usually feel smooth because the remaining hair is normal. Alopecia can be the result of almost any cat's skin disease, allergies, infections, parasite infestations, nutritional disorders, endocrine disease, and even certain cancers. Barboring. Barboring is a self-induced thinning of the hair that occurs when a cat bites the hair shafts in two. With barboring, if you run your hand over the area of hair loss, it will feel prickly because of the sharp, bitten ends of the hair shafts. Barboring is a trickier symptom to evaluate. When cats overgroom and barber their fur, it can be caused by itchiness, pain, or stress. If the cause of barboring is itchiness, the list of possible causes is very similar to the causes of alopecia. It is not uncommon, however, for owners to bring their cat to the vet for hair loss on the belly, expecting a diagnosis of skin disease, only to discover that the cat has a painful UTI. Pain in the abdominal cavity from pancreatitis, foreign body obstruction, tumors, or UTIs will often cause cats to groom and barber their undersides in a futile attempt to reduce the pain. Barboring along the back can be caused by spinal pain. Itchy skin. A symptom that is often related to hair loss is itchy skin. Itchiness, which veterinarians call paritis, occurs when skin irritation creates inflammatory molecules that send signals to the brain, inducing the sensation of itch. Although many pet parents will change their cat's food to minimize itching, food allergies account for only one in five cases of itchy cats. That's why it's best to go to the vet for a correct diagnosis. Letting your veterinarian know whether your cat's skin condition seems to be itchy or not itchy can help narrow down the list of possible causes. Although the most common skin diseases in cats are generally itchy, non- itchy skin diseases include certain types of bacterial and fungal infections, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and endocrine diseases. As with fur barbering, it can be difficult to tell whether a cat's licking and scratching is due to itchiness or pain. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. Milliary dermatitis. Milliary dermatitis is a common class of feline skin disease in which numerous small, grainy bumps appear on the surface of the cat's skin. Milliary dermatitis, named for the way the texture of the skin resembles millet seeds, is considered a symptom, not a specific disease. The most common cause of milliary dermatitis in cats is hypersensitivity to flea bites, even in indoor only cats. However, bacterial infections, ringworm infections, other parasitic infestations, autoimmune diseases, and certain cancers are also possible causes. Scabs. Scabs occur after something, usually trauma, opens the skin enough to cause bleeding. When the blood clots and closes the injury, a scab is formed. Veterinarians actually have two words for scabs, crusts and excoriation. An excoriation is self-induced, usually from scratching at an itchy skin condition, whereas a crust can be caused by any condition that ruptures the protective layer. Examining the cells or the fluid beneath a crust microscopically is sometimes useful for achieving a diagnosis. Otherwise, leaving crusts alone is usually recommended. Sores. Skin injuries are often precursors to scabs. While defects in your cat's skin might be quite obvious, distinguishing the types, abrasions, ulcers, lacerations, punctures, abscesses, is a job for your veterinarian. Since open wounds create an ideal environment for bacteria and other infectious microbes, preventing access to the wound is ideal. Your veterinarian may close the wound if possible, although only fresh wounds can be stitched closed. Covering the wound is sometimes useful, but more often, these types of skin conditions are left open to heal. Veterinarians will often recommend the application of a product containing antibiotics, antifungals, and anti-inflammatories. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian before initiating treatment. Rashes. Rash is another extremely broad term that can encompass everything from hives to pustules to fresh bruising. In general, people use the term rash to describe cat's skin conditions that are flat and red and encompass a medium to the large area of skin. Rashes are typically associated with inflammation, which can either be a primary problem, like allergies, or a secondary problem. As with sores, it is important for your veterinarian to visually inspect any rashes on your cat. Tests may also be necessary before a diagnosis and treatment recommendation can be made. Red spots. As with rashes, red spots are common in cats and do not indicate a specific disease, but instead can be caused by a wide variety of conditions. As always, testing and visual inspection by your veterinarian will likely be required to achieve a diagnosis if your cat has red spots. Dry, flaky skin. Since the treatment for human dandruff is often as simple as a shampoo change, you might assume that a medicated shampoo that promises to moisturize the skin is all that's needed to correct a cat's dry, flaky skin, or what veterinarians call scale. Medicated shampoos can often help alleviate this symptom, but you should have your cat checked out to determine the cause. Let your veterinarian know of any other symptoms, even those not related to the skin, that your cat has exhibited. Early skin. Like dandruff, oily fur is a condition that encourages pet parents to transfer their knowledge of human hair care onto that of cats. When our hair looks greasy, most of us would take a shower to wash away the excess oil in our hair. Cats, however, should be able to self-maintain the appearance of their fur coat. When the fur becomes greasy or oily in appearance, some step in the process of oil production and removal has been disrupted. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on, so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.