Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin Disease and Behavior Changes in the Cat.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Lilly, M Leanne & Siracusa, Carlo
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
The health of your cat's skin and coat is closely linked to their behavior. When cats are stressed, they might develop skin issues like hair loss, sores, or even hurt themselves by overgrooming. Conversely, if your cat has health problems, it can lead to stress and pain, which can make them groom excessively and worsen their skin condition. To effectively treat these skin issues and the overgrooming behavior, it's important to look at both the physical and emotional factors involved and use a combination of treatments.
Abstract
The health of the skin and coat of a cat is connected to the behavioral health of the animal. Stressed animals can cause lesions to their skin and coat such as alopecia, ulcers, and self-mutilation. On the other hand, localized or systemic health problems can cause stress, or pain, and therefore can increase overgrooming and poor skin health. When treating overgrooming and related skin lesions, all the physical and behavioral causes must be addressed through a multimodal approach.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37852882/