Skin Fungus in Cats: Recognize Symptoms and Treat Them Successfully
If your cat suffers from hair loss, itching and skin inflammation, this may indicate an infestation of skin fungus (dermaphytosis). The fungal infection is caused by spores (dermatophytes), whereas a skin fungus in cats is mainly caused by Microsporum Canis.
A fungal infestation is unpleasant for your cat and highly contagious and if you suspect your cat is infected, you should always act quickly.
How cats get infected with skin fungus
Skin fungus is highly contagious. The infection occurs via tiny spores, which can get onto the skin and coat of the cat, for example, through contact with an already ill conspecific.
There the fungal spores penetrate through small cracks into the skin of the animal, form roots and thus spread to the hair follicle openings and the outer layer of skin.
Once a cat is infected with skin fungus, the parasite spreads very quickly. For this purpose it produces masses of new spores, which are distributed on the body of the quadruped and released into the environment, so that the fungus can easily infect other hosts.
Symptoms of skin fungus in cats
An infection with skin fungus manifests itself in affected cats by quite different symptoms. The typical symptoms caused by the fungal infection include a dull coat, inflammation, itching and allergic skin reactions.
Furthermore, the skin fungus in cats can lead to dandruff, hair loss and oily skin. Occasionally, there is also inflammation of the claws and subcutaneous fatty tissue. Due to the severe itching that the skin fungus causes, infected cats tend to scratch more often, which sooner or later leads to skin injuries.
In rare cases, skin fungus in cats also manifests itself through circular bald spots, so-called hot spots.
Basically the fungal infection can spread over the whole body of the quadruped. However, the tail, head, back and legs of the cat are most often affected.
The skin fungus of the cat is also contagious for humans
Be aware that your cat's dermatophytosis can be contagious not only to other animals but also to yourself. It is therefore a so-called zoonosis. You should therefore take appropriate precautions when handling your quadruped infected with skin fungus and take care of the removal of the skin parasite as soon as possible.
Diagnosing skin fungus in cats
If you suspect that your cat suffers from skin fungus, a visit to the vet is essential. Because only a specialist can say with certainty whether you are right with your suspicion or the skin problems of the quadruped have another cause.
For the diagnosis of the skin fungus the veterinarian can use the following methods among others:
- By applying a fungus culture and the subsequent examination under the microscope, the veterinarian can determine exactly what kind of fungus it is.
- Taking a tissue sample (biopsy) allows the veterinarian to examine the skin of the cat for fungal skin infection.
- With the help of Wood's lamp, a reliable diagnosis is not always possible. But at least some types of fungi can be quickly detected with it.
- A microscopic examination of the hair roots (trichogram) allows a reliable diagnosis of a fungal skin infection.
It is not always possible for the veterinarian to diagnose an existing fungal infection with certainty. In some cases it can happen that reliable laboratory results take some time and you may have to wait a few weeks for the final diagnosis of skin fungus in your cat.
Treat fungal skin infections in cats
In order to relieve your cat from the discomfort of the fungal infection in a timely manner, it is important that you start treating the skin fungus as soon as possible. However, you should be aware that the treatment can be quite lengthy and often takes several weeks.
As a rule, so-called antimycotics are used. These are administered to your cat suffering from skin fungus in the form of tablets.
In addition, it is common to treat the fungal infestation locally from the outside. For this purpose, the veterinarian will prescribe suitable washing solutions or ointments, which also contain antimycotics, to your four-legged friend.
Especially in long-haired cat breeds it may be necessary to shorten the coat for a successful treatment of the skin fungus. In this way the externally applied antimycotics can penetrate the animal's skin more easily and develop their full effect.
Comprehensive hygiene prevents a renewed fungal infestation
In order to eliminate the skin fungus of your cat permanently, it is not enough to limit yourself to the treatment of the quadruped. It is also almost as important to remove fungal spores from all household items around the cat.
Therefore, clean all toys, blankets and pillows thoroughly and treat them with a fungicidal solution. This procedure is required for all objects your cat comes into contact with. You should also include items such as furniture or window sills in your hygiene measures.
If you don't do this, you can expect your cat to re-infect herself with fungal skin infections and start treatment all over again. Because of the risk of infection, we recommend that you wear rubber gloves when cleaning.
The skin fungus of the cat and the immune system
Especially kittens and old cats as well as animals with generally weakened defences can easily become infected with skin fungus. To reduce the risk of fungal infection, you should therefore make sure that your cat's immune system is not compromised.
This is not a completely safe way to avoid fungal infection. At the very least, you'll be making sure that your cat is better able to cope with the fungus.
To ensure that your cat's immune system is functioning properly, it is important to avoid excessive stress and to ensure that your cat is fed a high-quality cat food.
We also recommend that you support your cat's immune system with I love my cat Immun. This natural food supplement, which is optionally available as Immun Kitten especially for kittens, contains selected ingredients that supply the defences of your four-legged friend with valuable amino acids and micronutrients.
Skin fungus in cats - our conclusion
As you can see, skin fungus is a serious matter for cats. The fungal infection causes numerous complaints such as itching and skin inflammation. In addition, dermaphytosis is very contagious for other animals as well as for humans.
Therefore, take care of your cat in a timely manner and do not neglect thorough hygiene measures in your household.
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