Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to tell different skin problems on a cat's face and ears apart
By Coyner, Kimberly·Published in The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice·2020·Dermatology Clinic for Animals, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Distinguishing Between Dermatologic Disorders of the Face, Nasal Planum, and Ears: Great Lookalikes in Feline Dermatology.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Facial skin problems in cats can come from many different causes, including infections, allergies, immune system issues, or even tumors, and each type requires a different treatment approach. To figure out what's going on, veterinarians usually start with basic tests like checking for mites, looking for signs of infection, and testing for certain fungi. Depending on the initial findings, they might also try treating for parasites, switching to a special diet, taking samples for bacterial testing, or doing skin biopsies to get a closer look at the tissue. Understanding the specific symptoms and where they occur on the cat's face is important for making the right diagnosis. Overall, getting to the bottom of these skin issues can be complex and may require multiple tests and treatments.
Abstract
Facial dermatitis in cats can be caused by a broad range of infectious, allergic, immune-mediated and neoplastic disorders with very different treatments and prognoses. Baseline dermatologic diagnostics (skin scrapings for mites, cytology for infection and to characterize inflammatory infiltrate, and dermatophyte culture) are required, as well as possible further diagnostics, including therapeutic trials for parasites and feeding a hypoallergenic diet, bacterial culture, and skin biopsies for histopathology in order to achieve a diagnosis. Clinical presentations of diseases affecting different parts of the feline face are presented and discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32387302/