Cat deprivation is caused by fungi. With good immunity, the pet is unlikely to get sick. But if the animal’s body is weakened, the risk of catching this unpleasant infection is rapidly increasing. Everything is complicated by the fact that this disease is easily transmitted to humans.
Disease Description
Cat deprivation is an infectious disease caused by fungi called dermatophytes. In this case, the skin of the animal is mainly affected, but claws and hair are also damaged.
If you do not treat a sick cat, then lichen can pass on its own. But due to the fact that the disease is easily transmitted to humans and other animals, therapy is still necessary.
About how lichen looks in cats can be judged by some signs:
- Modification of the skin: the appearance of superficial inflammations of a local nature, the gradual loosening of the stratum corneum.
- A sharp loss of hair, often in the area of the head, as well as on the neck and back.
- The appearance of scaly formations and dried crusts.
- Severe itching (optional).
The photo below will more clearly demonstrate what lichen looks like in a domestic cat.
Causes of occurrence
The main cause of the disease is the weakened immunity of the cat, which happens when the animal eats defectively. It can also be a small kitten whose immunity has not yet formed. Or the conditions of the cat leave much to be desired.
Causes such as animal diseases that result in immune deficiency, immunosuppressive therapy, and malignant neoplasms that weaken the cat's body cannot be ruled out.
However, the cat’s belonging to a certain breed can also become a reason, because some breeds are genetically predisposed to lichens, as they have little resistance to them. For example, Himalayan or Persian cats.
Causative agents of the disease
Lichen is dermatomycosis. The causative agents of this unpleasant disease are microorganisms, the Latin names of which are as follows:
- Trichophyton mentagrophytes.
- Microsporum canis.
- Microsporum gypseum.
The microorganisms declared under paragraph 1 cause lichen, called trichophytosis. The remaining two are causative agents of microsporia. At the same time, Microsporum canis is the most common cause of dermatophytosis in animals. These microorganisms are very tenacious. Of course, they live on cats and dogs, but can live peacefully in the environment for up to 18 months.
Some cats may be carriers of spores, but they do not show symptoms of skin lesions. The habitat of Microsporum gypseum is soil, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes are often carried by rodents.
Symptoms of both are identical. They seem to be treated and combined under the general name "ringworm." The type of dermatophytosis can be determined only by seeding.
Distribution options
Microorganisms can get on the skin of a cat from another animal living nearby. A person can infect from the street on his shoes. And also, if the cat is free-range, it can catch the disease from stray cats.
Mushrooms love heat and humidity. Subject to these conditions, they can be viable for about two years. From the time of infection, the symptoms in the animal can appear only after 3-4 months.
Types of lichen
The behavior of the sick pet and the symptoms of deprivation caused by pathogens of different types are very similar. However, according to how lichen in cats looks, there are several types of the described disease. And this:
- Ringworm. The causative agents of this type of disease were described a little higher. And according to how ringworm looks, you can judge the stage of the disease and, depending on this, start treatment. At the initial stage, microorganisms enter the skin through the upper layer of the epithelium. Knowing what the initial lichen in a cat looks like, you can determine and stop it in a timely manner, which will lead to a quick recovery of the pet. Shorthair cats in this sense are more advantageous than longhair cats, since through short hair it is easier to discern the irritation that appears on the skin in the form of dandruff or red dots.
- Soaking lichen or otherwise - eczema. In this type of disease, pathogens are often not microorganisms and fungi, but allergic processes, the causes of which may be: the influence of chemicals, parasites (ticks or fleas), lack of hygiene or its insufficiency, hormonal disruptions and disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system.
- Pink is a disease of Giber. A feature of this type of lichen is that it is not dangerous to humans. And its name comes from the fact that at the initial stage of the disease, a pink, itchy, flaky spot appears on the cat's skin. Somewhere after 4-5 days, this spot is covered with a continuous dry film.
- Pityriasis (or multi-colored) is the most dangerous type of lichen. It is easily transmitted to humans or animals and is very difficult to treat. At the initial stage, a small oval spot appears, the color of which can be pink, yellow or brown.
A feature of the multi-colored appearance is how cat lichen looks in cats in the future. And then similar spots quickly spread throughout the body and at the end merge into a single whole.
Symptoms
At the initial stage, in the very center of the affected area, you can observe small ulcers, scales or vesicles. In this place, wool often falls out. If you do not start treatment on time, then the boundaries of lichen will increase. With all this, itching can be either present or absent among the signs of the disease.
Sometimes lichen spreads throughout the cat's body, its skin becomes greasy and peels. The first symptom of the disease is increased molting of the animal. The cat is depressed, refuses food and games, often scratches its ears, and when the lichen is localized in the claws, they begin to take an ugly shape and grow incorrectly. The photo below shows how lichen looks in a cat’s ear.
Differences from Dermatitis
Sometimes owners confuse common dermatitis and ringworm. However, knowing what lichen looks like in cats, it can be distinguished from other skin diseases. With ringworm, the foci of alopecia, i.e., baldness, have a depressing appearance. The skin here is wrinkled, reddens, becomes covered with coarse scales, acquiring a brown color, which consist of exfoliated epidermal cells.
In addition, as a result of the life of the fungus, substances are formed that form liquid-filled pustules and papules on the surface of the cat's skin. The hair at the same time loses its usual color, becomes dull, brittle and begins to fall out.
Timely determination of depriving and contacting a veterinarian will help to avoid infection of a person. Especially often, cat lichen is picked up by children due to their unstable immunity.
Diagnostic Principles
The variety of manifestations of the disease excludes the diagnosis only on the basis of external examination. Dermatophytosis is determined by one, and if necessary several laboratory studies.
The most accurate method for diagnosing ringworm is considered to be seeding on media with further examination under the microscope of the resulting culture. Less often and only if necessary, histology of skin cells is performed. For this, it is necessary to take a scab or a flake from the affected area and give it to the laboratory for examination.
Sometimes spores of dermatophytes can be detected by examining the affected hair under a microscope. With this method, spores can be detected in 40-70% of cases, which is quite enough for a positive diagnosis.
One way is to use a Wood lamp. However, only in half of the cases that are caused by Microsporum canis, the hair shaft glows with a green light. Wood's lamp will reveal a suspicion of lichen, but still have to conduct additional research using seeding or microscopy of the hair.
Home treatment
Having determined what a cat’s lichen looks like, it’s just starting to spread on the skin, and having found these signs on its own pet, you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic. Indeed, at home, treatment is possible only after consultation with a specialist.
From how lichen looks in cats, and treatment will be prescribed by a veterinarian. The severity of the disease, the patient’s age, general health and his environment will also be taken into account.
Young and healthy cats can cope with the disease on their own. But basically it is necessary to use a fairly aggressive therapy. To do this, all animals in the house are examined by the method of sowing, after which the healthy are sedimented from the patients, but it is recommended that everyone indiscriminately use therapeutic shampoos. Long-haired individuals are cut off, the room is disinfected.
Ringworm disinfection
Always read when Microsporum canis requires environmental treatment, which is at risk of infection is extremely important:
- All hard surfaces are treated with a solution of lime (1 to 10) or chlorhexidine (4%).
- All fabrics, including bedding and blankets, are washed in hot water with white.
- Carpets and upholstery are steam cleaned with chlorhexidine added to the water.
- The ventilation holes are vacuum cleaned and disinfected, after which the bags from the vacuum cleaner are immediately discarded.
- Collars, toys and beds are best discarded and replaced.
Treatment features
Sick animals should receive complex therapy through oral administration, vaccination and external treatment, prescribed depending on how lichen looks in cats. How to treat step by step, the veterinarian will explain.
Vaccination is best carried out with domestic vaccines, because abroad do not know how to make high-quality drugs for this.
In the process of treatment, it is necessary to monitor through periodic examinations of the animal and conduct monthly crops. With two successively negative crops with an interval of one month, the animal is recognized as cured.
However, it often takes several months before a complete cure, as re-infection from the external environment occurs.
In especially severe cases, drugs such as Griseofulvin, Itraconazole and Terbinafine are orally prescribed. Along with this, you can use bathtubs with sulphurous lime or special shampoos and lotions containing "Miconazole" or "Enilconazole".
Describing what a passing lichen looks like in a cat, one can note healed lesions on the skin, overgrown with new hair.
Features of treatment for various types of lichen
Depending on how lichen looks in cats and what type it belongs to, treatment methods can vary.
For example, with a ringworm type, it is best to use Nizoral and Sebozol shampoos, and Sanoderm, Clotrimazole and Miconazole ointments. For wet lichen, salicylic, sulfuric, ichthyol, tar ointments are suitable. Treatment for pink lichen is prescribed with the use of drugs that increase immunity, and optimize feeding.And with a multi-colored type, "Imaverol" and "Lyme Sulfur" are often prescribed.
Features of the treatment of pregnant cats
Having studied how lichen looks in cats and how to treat it, it is necessary to note the features of the treatment of sick pregnant animals. In order not to damage the unborn kittens, veterinarians often prescribe alternative treatments using gentle preparations, including tricolor violet, pharmacy chamomile, common oregano and common valerian.
All of these herbal preparations can be mixed in the required proportions, but can also be used as an independent medicine. But this will tell the veterinarian.
Prevention
For prevention, it is best to conduct timely annual anti-lichen vaccination. Moreover, the vaccine is both a prophylactic drug and a therapeutic agent at the same time. Immunity after this is acquired by the cat after 30 days.
If the cat is not vaccinated, then it is better not to let it out at all and extreme caution should be exercised in communicating with other animals. It is best to visit a veterinarian once every 6 months for a detailed examination.
Along with this, the pet needs to provide optimal nutrition, an active lifestyle and decent care. And the care and love of the owner will make the precious cat invulnerable to any disease.