Have you noticed your cat overgrooming and losing fur? It can be a worrying sight, but it's important to find out what is causing the overgrooming. Overgrooming in cats can have many causes, from compulsive disorders or allergies to fleas, and mites to infections and even areas of pain and discomfort. Without knowing the cause of overgrooming in your cat, it can be difficult to provide relief. This article will help you identify the source of overgrooming so that you can get proper treatment for your cat!
1. Compulsive disorders such as psychogenic alopecia
Compulsive overgrooming in cats can be caused by a variety of factors such as stress, boredom, or anxiety. This type of overgrooming usually appears in an area that the cat spends a lot of time grooming, resulting in alopecia, or patches of missing fur.
Feline psychogenic alopecia is considered only after other medical causes of overgrooming have been eliminated. To ensure an accurate diagnosis, your veterinarian must thoroughly consider and rule out any underlying medical sources of the dermatologic changes before concluding that the symptoms are due to a behavioral condition.
Because feline psychogenic alopecia may cause medical complications such as pain, inflammation, and infection, it can be difficult to diagnose. Psychologic stress may also cause physical clinical signs.
2. Hypersensitivities and allergies
Cats can overgroom due to hypersensitivities or allergies, which are very common causes of overgrooming in cats. Allergies in cats can be caused by environmental sources such as pollen and dust, or food allergens. Common signs of allergies in cats include overgrooming, redness and irritation of the skin, facial rubbing, scratching around the neck, and licking of the lower abdomen.
If your cat is suffering from seasonal allergies, chances are it will exhibit excessive overgrooming in a periodic manner. On the other hand, cats that have indoor allergens or food allergies may show signs of overgrooming without any regularity or seasonal patterns.
If you suspect your cat has an allergy, it's important to consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Allergic overgrooming can be treated by identifying, addressing, and eliminating all potential allergens from the environment and diet.
3. Ectoparasites such as fleas, mites and lice
Another common cause of overgrooming in cats is ectoparasites, such as fleas, mites, and lice. Mites and lice are parasites that are hard to detect but can be seen through a microscope. Flea droppings or "flea dirt" can also be visible on the skin or fur and appear as small black specks.
Ectoparasites feed on the blood of cats and can cause skin irritation, itching, overgrooming, and hair loss. If your cat is overgrooming due to ectoparasites, it's important to treat your cat with a flea-preventative or parasite-specific medication prescribed by your veterinarian.
Demodectic mange caused by the mite Demodex gatoi is a very underdiagnosed cause of overgrooming in cats. Cats with demodicosis often have an acute onset of overgrooming, especially around the abdomen and thigh regions. Unlike other species of demodex mites, Demodex gatoi can be contagious to other cats therefore, symptoms of overgrooming may become noticed shortly after the addition of another cat in the household.
Your veterinarian should rule out ectoparasitic causes of overgrooming by using a drug trial. This is done by administering an anti-parasitic medication such as selamectin and observing the response. If there is no clinical response, alternative causes of overgrooming should be investigated.
4. Skin infections such as bacterial or yeast overgrowth
Bacterial skin infections or pyoderma, typically develop as a result of allergic hypersensitivities, including flea allergy dermatitis, food allergy, and environmental or seasonal allergies. Left untreated, skin infections will result in overgrooming in cats, even if the underlying reason is treated.
Cats can get bacterial skin infections that show up in different ways. For example, their skin might have pimple-like lesions, scabs, or hair loss from overgrooming. This infection can either be in one area or spread out over the body, but it is usually found on the face, neck, arms, legs, and abdomen.
To diagnose skin infections in cats, your veterinarian should perform cytology, which is sampling the affected areas of skin with a cotton swab. The material is transferred to a microscope slide to be evaluated under the microscope. This test is especially important in identifying yeast organisms.
Your veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics or antifungal medications for treatment. It is very important that bacterial skin infections in cats be treated for 2-4 weeks and may require longer treatment for deep infections.
5. Feline hyperesthesia syndrome
Feline hyperesthesia is a condition that causes overgrooming in cats, as well as other strange behaviors such as excessive vocalizing, overreacting to stimuli, and spontaneous twitching of the skin, especially along the back.
Feline hyperesthesia is a condition in which the cause is unknown, but it is believed to be a type of maladaptive pain syndrome. To make a diagnosis, other potential causes of the clinical signs must first be ruled out.
6. Areas of pain and discomfort
Cats are skilled at hiding signs of pain or discomfort, so it's important to be vigilant in monitoring their behavior and appearance. Overgrooming in cats can be the result of pain or discomfort, which can be caused by various underlying factors. For example, cats that have feline lower urinary tract diseases such as cystitis will often overgroom their abdominal area due to discomfort. Additionally, some cats with arthritis will overgroom around the affected joints in an attempt to soothe their discomfort.
Overall, overgrooming in cats can be caused by a variety of issues such as compulsive disorders or psychogenic alopecia, hypersensitivities or allergies, ectoparasites like fleas and demodectic mange, skin infections such as bacterial or yeast overgrowth, feline hyperesthesia and areas of pain and discomfort. It is important to monitor your cat for signs of overgrooming and contact your veterinarian if any symptoms persist. Your veterinarian should perform tests to rule out potential causes before prescribing the necessary medications for treatment. By understanding what may cause overgrooming in cats you will be able to better manage this issue more effectively. If you have any questions about overgrooming in cats, please contact your veterinarian.