When feline skin defence mechanisms fail

As the largest and most external organ, the skin plays a vital role in your cat’s overall health and well-being. Just like in humans, your cat’s skin can be a great indicator of their underlying health. However, if your cat isn’t a hairless breed, their skin is covered with fur, making it a bit harder to assess. Fur and skin work together as a protective unit, but they can be affected by various harmful conditions. If you notice any changes in your cat’s fur or skin, it could be an early sign of a health issue, so it’s important to seek veterinary advice.

The Role of the Skin

We often take our cats’ skin for granted, but it’s actually a crucial part of keeping them healthy. The skin serves as the first line of defense against injury and illness, acting as a protective barrier against the outside world. Covering the entire body, the skin has several essential functions that help maintain your cat’s well-being:

• Protection: It shields the underlying organs from injury.

• Infection Defense: It helps protect the body against infections.

• Temperature Regulation: It plays a key role in regulating body temperature.

• UV Protection: It protects against harmful UV radiation.

• Hydration: It prevents dehydration by retaining moisture.

• Sensory Function: It acts as a sensory organ, allowing your cat to feel pain, temperature, pressure, and itching.

Breakdown of the skin barrier

As you can see, the skin barrier is vital for maintaining your cat’s health, but it can fail for several reasons, including genetics, injury, or infection. In the case of allergies, for example, a genetic predisposition may result in a “leaky” skin barrier, permitting allergens to enter. This then results in itching, causing the cat to scratch. This self-trauma then results in a more profound disruption to skin integrity, worsening the problem (sometimes known as the “Itch-Scratch Cycle”).

Once the skin barrier has been damaged, signs of skin disease may develop rapidly. When this happens, bacteria and yeast can take the opportunity to colonise the skin, causing a secondary infection. Depending on the extent of the damage to the skin barrier, signs of skin disease may occur in one discrete location only or can be widespread across the body.

Dandruff and inflamed skin should not be present in a healthy cat, and these could be the first signs of something going wrong. Skin disease can progress quickly and may go on to include hair loss and intense itching

Is my cat grooming normally?

Cats are meticulous about keeping their skin and fur clean, so it is normal for healthy cats to spend a large part of their day grooming their coat and removing dirt and loose hairs. In fact, if your cat suddenly stops spending time grooming this can be a sign that they are unwell and they need to be checked by your vet.

The time your cat spends grooming may vary depending on their breed, age, and whether they are kept indoors or have access outside, but grooming can take up a significant part of every day. During a grooming session, you may see your cat lick at their skin, nibble and bite at their fur and use their front paws to clean their head, and this is all part of a normal cleaning routine, as far as it keeps your cat happy and relaxed.

When grooming becomes excessive

Conversely, grooming can also become excessive in cats if they become fixated on it. When this occurs, cats will spend increasing amounts of time grooming, often prioritising cleaning over other daily activities. Overgrooming can rapidly lead to areas of hair loss, which can be distressing for owners to see, but once the cause is resolved the hair should grow back normally.

Why is my cat overgrooming?

Most commonly, cats start overgrooming in response to pain or feeling itchy, but it can also be a behavioural response to stress. Hair loss may be the only sign you see, but other times, a rash, dandruff, and skin lesions may also be present. This hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, but most frequently, it will be on the belly, between the front or hindlegs, or over the flanks.

There are several reasons why a cat may start overgrooming, including allergies, parasites such as fleas and mites, pain such as arthritis, stress, and behavioural problems.

More than one of these conditions may be present at any one time, so it is important that you take your cat to see your vet as soon as you notice any skin changes or hair loss. The earlier treatment starts, the easier most skin conditions are to treat.

Allergies

Cats may develop allergies to a wide range of environmental or food-related allergens. Some individuals may suffer from multiple allergies, so it can be difficult to identify the trigger and avoid the allergen completely, leading to flare-ups. Allergies can be intensely itchy and may be accompanied by hair loss, a red rash and secondary skin infections. They also frequently require life-long veterinary treatment to manage the signs of skin disease. Our DOUXO® S3 CALM range is perfect for long-term use to help reduce flare-ups by restoring the skin’s barrier function.

Parasites

Flea reactions are a common cause of skin disease in cats. Some individuals can become intensely itchy in response to a flea bite causing them to develop a severe skin reaction along with hair loss due to scratching. Alongside veterinary treatment, our DOUXO® S3 CALM range is perfect for itchy skin.

Pain

Arthritis is a painful condition that can result in back and joint pain and may reduce your cat’s ability to groom certain areas of their body. Spending less time grooming, along with the presence of dandruff and a dirty coat may be one of the first signs that your cat is suffering from arthritis. Alongside pain relief from your vet, our DOUXO® S3 SEB range is ideal for maintaining dandruff and sebum balance, leaving your cat’s coat looking healthy and shiny. It even comes as a handy mousse, perfect for cats who do not like baths.

“Psychogenic” alopecia

Cats groom their fur to calm themselves down when faced with a stressful situation. However, for some cats, this response can become a learned behaviour and is detrimental to daily life as they spend excessive amounts of time grooming. Indoor cats are at a greater risk of developing psychogenic alopecia, especially if they have limited social and environmental interactions, though other medical conditions need to be excluded first before a diagnosis can be made.

Can I do something about it?

Yes, of course! As their guardian, you are the most reliable observer. As a quick guide, you should note that healthy cats should spend no more than an hour a day licking and more than one minute scratching themselves. Any deviation should be consulted with your veterinarian. Skin problems can develop quickly and can be very painful ,so to prevent your cat from suffering from sore, irritated skin, it is important you visit your vet as soon as any skin changes develop. Depending on the severity, skin disease can take time to heal fully, but with the correct veterinary treatment and use of our DOUXO® S3 skincare range to support healthy skin barrier, your cat will soon return to normal. DOUXO® S3 CALM offers immediate relief from itchiness, while DOUXO® S3 PYO helps to restore the microbial balance, and DOUXO® S3 SEB restores the normal turnover in the delicate skin layers.