Feline Skin Infection

Feline skin infection can occur in a variety of forms, including both fungal and bacterial infections. Not every cat skin disorder is caused by an infection, however; there can be other causes of cat skin problems.

In general infections are treated with a combination of topical ointments, shampoos, conditioners and topical ointments. Note the ingredients that are required to treat your dog's specific condition and oral medications.

Diagnosis of Feline Skin Infection

Feline skin infection will need to be diagnosed by your vet. In some cases, your vet will be able to diagnose the infection just by looking at it. In other cases, tests will be needed in order to determine the exact nature and cause of the infection. Tests may include examining the affected area under a special ultraviolet light, taking a swab of any seepage from the area to be examined under a microscope, and/or blood tests.

Sometimes the feline skin infection is secondary to another condition. This means that your cat has another problem that causes her skin to itch and she has scratched so much that it has caused the area to develop a bacterial infection. In that case, the skin infection must be treated, but the underlying cause of the itching must also be determined and treated as well.

Feline Fungal Infection

Fungal infection can either be on the surface of the skin or in the case of skin injury, the fungus has an opportunity to penetrate further.

Cat Ringworm (dermatophytosis)

Ringworm is not caused by worms but is a form of skin infection. It is appears as a round red patch with a pale center.

Picture of Cat Ringworm

Ringworm can be diagnosed with a fungal culture and examination of the culture under the microscope and an examination of the skin under a special light called a "Wood's lamp."

The extent of the fungal infection will determine the best course of treatment. Mild cases will only require some type of topical treatment (treatment applied directly to the skin). More advanced cases require topical treatment and a lime-sulfer dip.

Topical treatment usually consists of the drug Itraconazole. It is considered to be safe and effective. A lime-sulfur dip such as Dermisil for Ringworm is the treatment of choice. Your cat needs to be soaked in the dip down to the skin. You can use rags to make sure the dip reaches all skin areas.

Your veterinarian will retest your cat after 3 weeks and then again soon after to see if the ringworm has gone away. Treatment usually lasts for a period of 30 days including 2x treatments a week of the dip.

Feline Yeast infection (Cat Malassezia)

A yeast infection results in a red scaly skin that may also appear greasy; hair loss may also occur.east infections are especially itchy, crusty, and smelly.

What is Malassezia?

Yeast infections in cats is a type of fungus that is found on all cats. If your cat is healthy it isn't a problem. If the skin changes, it creates an environment that lets the yeast or fungus spread. These conditions include high humidity, oily skin, immune system problems, or seborrhea (oily skin).

Treatment for Cat Yeast Infection

For this condition if the infection is only on the surface of the skin your veterinarian will prescribe a topical (ointment) treatment. He or she may also recommend:

Shampoo therapy - Shampoos usually contain the ingredient miconazole nitrate or ketoconazole plus chlorhexidine . Brands with micronazole include Malaseb Shampoo® (DVM Pharmaceuticals), Miconazole Shampoo® (Vetoquinol) and Dermazole® (Virbac). ketoconazole is the active ingredient in Ketochlor® (Virbac) and Nizoral® (Janssen) are examples. Ketochlor® also contains chlorhexidine.

Sprays - In addition to the shampoo therapy there are sprays that can be used in addition to bathing, particularly if the infection is limited to one area of your dog. One example is the spray called Miconazole 1% Spray.

Wipes - medicated wipes can be useful if your dog has hard to reach areas or folds in the skin and the feet. Product choices include Resizole® (Virbac) and Malacetic Wipes® (Derma Pet) which contains acetic and boric acid.

Rinses - If your dog has an infection over large parts of his or her body then a body rinse may be needed. These are also used for dogs that have a long coat and therefore have difficult to reach skin. Options for a rinse include Malaseb Rinse Concentrate ® or a lime sulfur product such as the one available from Dermisil These products are excellent in killing the fungus and have a low risk of any problems.

Bacterial Feline Skin Infection

If a bacterial feline skin infection is diagnosed then your veterinarian will probably prescribe some type of oral anti-biotic. These infections are sometimes the result of other conditions that also require anti-biotics.

The most common cause of bacterial skin infection in cats is called Staphylococcus intermedius. This can be combined with other bacteria called Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotics are prescribed for a treatment period of 3+ weeks until the condition disappears. It is possible that the infection will quickly return requiring another round of treatment. Treatment can last as long as 12 weeks.

Sources:

Scott, D. W., Miller, W. H., Griffin, C. E.
Muller and Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology

Feline Dermatophytosis: Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Environmental Management
S. Newbury
Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Center for Companion Animal Health
, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA

Antifungal Drug Therapy
J.M. MacDonald
College of Veterinary Medicine
Auburn University, Auburn, AL USA

Treatment of Bacterial Infection
R.S. Mueller
Department of Clinical Sciences Coll. of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

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