Myth #10: "Cat Skin Diseases Are All About Skin"
The Truth:
Cat Skin Reflects Systemic Disease
Feline skin disorders are often signs of much more serious underlying internal diseases.
Everything going on inside your body can affect your skin. This is especially true for cats with inflammatory diseases.
Skin symptoms of systemic inflammatory diseases are often misdiagnosed. Many chronic diseases in cats are inflammatory in nature. When inflammation is constant, inflammatory responses that evolved for intermittent use can become deranged and involve the whole body. But cats are masters at hiding internal illness. Without appropriate diagnostic tests, these disorders will remain undiscovered. Unless the systemic issues are identified, the skin symptoms will be misinterpreted.
Poor nutrition is responsible for much skin disease. Diets with ingredients unnatural to cats cause inflammation in the intestines. The gut is the largest immune organ in the body. Constant intestinal inflammation has systemic effects which can include skin disease. Many allergic cats have skin lesions. Plant ingredients in cat food appear to be a strong triggering influence..
Even external diseases like mange or ringworm may signal an underlying immune problem. Healthy cats with competent immune systems are not usually covered with fleas. Such problems are usually found in the old, the young and the sick. Ringworm is more commonly seen in cats with immune systems impaired by inbreeding or immunosuppressive viruses.
If your cat has a skin problem, be sure your vet is asking, “Why?” That little skin problem may be a signal of something much more significant inside.
Your feline veterinarian’s cat-focused study and experience can make all the difference in getting the best treatment for your cat!