Mary Allen
When cat fur becomes shaggy and flaky, it’s more than a beauty issue. Coat and skin changes can be a sign of diseases.
Healthy cats have shiny, smooth coats, and they do so well into old age. The fact that the fur of older velvet paws often looks a bit battered is due to the typical ailments of old age. “Diabetes, chronic kidney failure, and overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) are relatively common in older cats. These diseases are associated with shaggy, dull fur and a slower change of coat,” says veterinarian Katrin Timm, a specialist in allergies, skin, and ear diseases. If the fur only looks unkempt in a few places, this may be because the cat is no longer mobile enough for a full body wash, for example, because it is in pain or is very overweight.
General difficulties in shedding winter fur, a dull, greasy, or thinning coat can also be a sign of nutrient deficiency in old and young animals. “But we rarely encounter that in our practice, since today’s feed usually contains all the necessary nutrients,” says Timm, who works in the Tennessee Clinic for small animals in Hünenberg ZG.
Severe hair loss is also usually a sign of health problems. Exceptions are the loss of puppy fur and the seasonal shedding in spring and fall. “During this time, the fur can look a bit thinner or shaggy overall. I have even observed symmetrical bald spots in some long-haired cats, which disappeared of their own accord after the molt,” says Timm. To be on the safe side, however, you should consult the veterinarian in the case of bald spots – especially if other symptoms such as increased cleaning, rubbing on objects, or changes in behavior occur. It could be that the cat suffers from severe itching and literally scratches or licks its bare belly and inner thighs. Some animals even pluck their hair out in tufts.
Parasites such as fleas or fur mites (Cheyletiella) can be to blame for self-induced hair loss, especially in outdoor cats. Luckily, the unwelcome housemates can be quickly driven away by the vet with appropriate products such as spot-on preparations and, with regular use, can be kept away completely in the future.
Allergies, which are quite common, are more difficult and lengthy to treat. Allergies are usually lifelong illnesses. In cats, food, environmental allergens, and flea saliva can be triggers. What these allergy types have in common is that they are all accompanied by severe itching. Some cats just lick themselves bare without hurting their skin, while others actually scratch themselves bloody. In the case of a feed allergy, the veterinarians try to determine the responsible allergens by means of an elimination diet. Once the culprit or culprits have been found, the feeding can be adjusted accordingly.
Scratched Bloody
It becomes more difficult with environmental allergies, in which the cat reacts allergically to pollen or dust mites, for example. Removing allergens from the cat’s environment is usually impossible. According to Timm, an allergy test can be carried out, and then hyposensitization can be carried out. Large amounts of the diluted allergen solution are injected regularly over a long period of time in order to gradually get the immune system used to the allergens again. “It’s the only way to treat the cause of the environmental allergy. The chance of success is around 60 percent,” explains Timm.
If desensitization is not possible or not successful, there are medications that can be used to treat the symptoms of allergic reaction and itching. With a flea saliva allergy, the cat is allergic to flea bites. While a non-allergic cat often shows few symptoms of flea infestation, an allergic cat reacts with severe itching. Regular flea prevention for all cats and dogs in the household throughout the year is important to prevent this reaction.
Sometimes, however, the cat grooms itself so much for no organic reason that its hair suffers. In technical terms, this compulsive behavior, which can be triggered by severe stress or great boredom, is called “psychogenic self-induced leak alopecia”, better known as overgrooming.
However, there are also cases in which the hair falls out without the cat having to do anything: Changes in the coat and skin without itching can be a side effect of a fungal infection (dermatophytosis) or infection with hair follicle mites (Demodex mites).
Scales are the dead cells of the top layer of skin, which can be seen as roundish flakes on the coat after they have been detached and are more noticeable in dark cats than in light ones because of their light color. Skin cells also come off in healthy animals, but only in small amounts. They are also removed by the cat when grooming.