Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Causes and signs of itching in cats from a large study
By Hobi, Stefan et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2011·Dermatology Department·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical characteristics and causes of pruritus in cats: a multicentre study on feline hypersensitivity-associated dermatoses.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 502 cats with itching (pruritus) was studied to find out what was causing their skin problems. The most common cause was flea allergies, affecting 29% of the cats, followed by food allergies and other non-flea/non-food issues. Many cats showed similar skin patterns, making it hard to tell the exact cause without further tests. Young adult, purebred female cats were more likely to have non-flea/non-food allergies. Proper diagnosis often requires a detailed examination and sometimes a food trial to identify the specific issue.
People also search for: cat itching treatment · why is my cat scratching · flea allergy in cats · food allergies in cats · cat skin problems diagnosis
Abstract
Hypersensitivity dermatitides (HD) are often suspected in cats. Cats with HD are reported to present with one or more of the following patterns: miliary dermatitis, eosinophilic dermatitis, self-induced symmetrical alopecia or head and/or neck excoriations. Previous reports on feline HD included small numbers of animals, took place in geographically restricted areas or did not compare these conditions with other causes of pruritus. The goal of the present study was to analyse 72 parameters covering signalment, clinical, laboratory and treatment characteristics from a large group of pruritic cats from different geographical areas. Of the 502 cats, the following diagnoses were made: flea HD (29% of cases), food HD (12%) nonflea/nonfood HD (20%) and other diseases in which pruritus was a feature (24%). Cats with signs consistent with a HD but which did not complete a food trial were not analysed further (15% of cases). Most cats with nonflea HD exhibited signs compatible with one or more of the four typical lesional patterns, but none of these patterns was found to be pathognomonic for any specific diagnosis. Food HD and nonflea/nonfood HD were found to be clinically undistinguishable. Young adult, purebred and female cats appeared predisposed to nonflea/nonfood HD. As many diagnoses presented with similar lesional patterns, a thorough clinical work-up is required for establishment of a specific diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21410570/