Itchy skin or skin infections

A bump, a rash, a scab, a patch-there are almost as many words to describe cat skin disorders as there are skin issues themselves. Unfortunately, the way a particular skin disease shows up does not neatly align with the underlying cause. That’s why it’s not usually possible for a vet to make a diagnosis based on just a picture of your cat’s skin.

And to further complicate things, there’s usually more than one symptom present at a time. Microscopic and laboratory testing are usually recommended to determine the underlying cause of cat skin disease.

However, it’s still a good idea to take pictures of the problem, especially over time. These pictures can be useful in at least narrowing down the underlying cause of your cat’s skin condition.

Although achieving a diagnosis can often be time-consuming, it is ideal to figure out the cause of your cat’s symptoms so that the treatments can be targeted toward that cause.

Here are some of the most common cat skin conditions, signs to look for, and possible causes.