Are you worried that your cat may have a skin problem? Your first clue may be excessive licking, scratching, or chewing. The condition of the skin is a good indicator of your cat’s overall health. The cat’s skin acts as a barrier and is the first line of defense against harmful organisms that can cause skin disorders. Many things can indicate that a skin problem exists such as inflammation or redness, hair loss or bald patches, swelling, lumps, skin discoloration, rashes, or scaly patches. Skin disorders are common in cats – they can be caused by parasites like fleas and mites, fungal or bacterial infections, allergies, stress, injury, and occasionally by hormone imbalance.

The skin problems that are the most common for cats include abscesses, ear mites, contact dermatitis, feline acne, flea allergy dermatitis, food allergies, psychogenic alopecia or excessive
self-grooming, ringworm, stud tail, and even sunburn.

There are so many possible underlying issues that if you think your cat is excessively scratching, chewing, or licking their skin, the best thing to do is visit your veterinarian. You’ve got to identify the source of the problem in order to treat it properly and achieve the fastest healing possible. It is always better to prevent disease rather than treat it. Your cat’s first line of defense is its skin and the immune system.