Why Does My Cat Have Scabs? Glad I Did My Research On It!

Don’t you just hate it when your cat is in discomfort? I do. I feel bad when I know something is terribly wrong with my cat. In fact, anything that looks strange – whether it is on my cat’s behavior, skin, eyes – name it, I get extremely terrified. Recently, I have noticed some scabs around her neck and chin area.

As expected, I had to go the extra mile to know research about them. It was such a big mystery as these scabs suddenly appeared. After checking and researching, I have finally grasped the answer to this question – why does my cat have scabs? Let me walk you through it and share what I have learned.

Understanding Root Cause of Scabs on Cats

Here’s what every cat owner needs to remember – the overall quality of the skin is an indicator of the health condition of your cat. Depending on the breed of your cat, the skin should either be pinkish or blackish in color. Healthy cats have shiny coats. If these factors are compromised, then you should take the extra measure to know your cat’s condition.

Using the Location As An Indicator

Scabs are these crusty, rough, and dry patches that form one a wound is healed. The location of these scabs can also be indicators of the possible causes. For instance, those scabs around the neck and the back could be caused by hypersensitivity to flea bites.

In addition, those scabs found around the chin could also be caused by a skin condition called feline acne. The scabs that are found in other areas of the body such as close to the ears and around the head are also linked to food allergies. Usually, these locations plus other symptoms are analyzed by veterinarians to determine the possible root cause of the scabs.

Checking Possible Skin Conditions

Contact Dermatitis

This is one condition that could cause small red rough patches or scabs on your cat’s body. This condition occurs when your pet comes into contact with products that contains irritants. For instance, soap, shampoo, and certain plants (e.g. poison ivy).

To reduce the chances of reducing your cat’s risks to contact dermatitis, you need to restrict any possible irritant in the environment of your cat. For instances, using hypoallergenic detergent for your cat’s bedding is advised.

Feline Dermatitis

Scabbing is also one of the symptoms of another condition called Feline Dermatitis. The main causes of this condition can be categorized as infectious or noninfectious. Infectious causes include parasitic infection such as the Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD), fungal, viral, and bacterial infection.

The non-infectious causes of this condition include sun damage, immune system disorders, drug reaction, and even the inability of the cat to self-groom due to related conditions such as arthritis, dental problems, or obesity.

To help your cat manage the discomfort of severe scabbing, you could try certain topical remedies. Examples are the application of Manuka honey, the use of essential oil and lavender, and calendula creams. Williard’s water can also be sprayed on the wound multiple times in one day.

Other Possible Causes

Food Allergy

Yes, being allergic to certain food does not only apply to human – even cats may suffer from it too. Aside from scabbing, other symptoms may include hair loss and the excessive scratching, and vomiting. The affected areas are usually the neck and the head.

When a food allergy is the reason behind scabbing, your cat may likely be placed on a ‘novel diet’. This means your feline friend will likely be given food that she had not eaten in the past up until all the symptoms clear up.

Stress

Stress can also be a contributor to a cat’s scabbing. Note that our pets can also display different signs of stress such as hiding, going off their food or even overgrooming. Excessive grooming in cats is considered a stress-related discover triggered by different forms of environmental changes.

To help your cat cope with stress and reduce the likeliness to over groom herself, make sure that you give her enough human attention. This means you have to be consistent in feeding, exercising, and playing with your cat. Keep your pal’s day as routine as possible.

Here are My Final Two Cents on this Topic

To wrap up, let me remind you that scabbing is an indication of the problem and that you should make an effort to observe your cat’s behavior, check what she eats, and know where she often goes to. By learning all of these factors, you would be able to find ways to help you can avoid more serious scabbing in the future; including:

I hope that I was able to share something relevant to you, my fellow cat enthusiasts. Feel free to leave me some comments and notes, and I’d be more than pleased to get back to all of you.