40 Your Cat November 2017CAT CARECAT CARE
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BEHAVIOUR
MEET OUR EXPERTS
CELIA HADDON MA MSc MA
is a well-known pet columnist
and author of numerous cat
books. She is a cat lover and
owner, with a cat behaviour
qualifi cation and broad
experience of feline issues.GENERAL CARE
HOLLY MASH BVSc IVAS
MRCVS specialises in
complementary medicine
including herbalism and
acupuncture. She also runs
online courses for owners.HOLISTIC
LIBBY SHERIDAN MVB MRCVS
worked as a vet before joining
the pet food industry. She
then set up Mojo Consultancy,
offering specialist business
support to the pet care industry.NUTRITION
DR SUE DAWSON is
a counselling psychologist
specialising in
human-companion animal
relationships and
pet bereavement.BEREAVEMENT
KIM HOUSTON BSc (Hons),
Dip (AS) CABC, CCAB is
a consultant in feline behaviour.
She works with clients
throughout the UK, helping to
resolve cat behaviour problems.
Find out more about Kim at
http://www.cat-astrophes.comBEHAVIOUR
AGA ZOLTOWSKA BVSc
MANZCVS (Medicine of Cats)
DipCABT MRCVS graduated
from the University of Liverpool
in 2005 and is passionate about
cat welfare. Find out more at
http://www.thecatboxsolutions.comVETERINARY
ANITA KELSEY BA Hons,
MCFBA, CIDBT runs a vet
referral practice dedicated to
behaviour problems in cats. She
is also an expert cat groomer.
Visit http://www.catbehaviourist.comGROOMING
TREVOR COOPER is a solicitor
known for championing
the cause of pets within the
legal system.LEGAL
VETERINARY
Q
My mum’s cat (13 years old, black
domestic) has started losing her
fur. This often starts with a sort
of pimple that develops into a sore that
is red and raw-looking, like she’s been
burned with a cigarette or something.
Some of it is possibly due to excess
grooming as a result of these sores;
she gets them on her face, back, and tail.
The vet isn’t sure exactly what they are,
and just gives a steroid injection, which
doesn’t seem to help much. My mum has
been using Camrosa ointment whenever
a sore appears, and this seems to limit
the extent to which it develops.
The only change in her lifestyle is
that she has started eating raw salmon.
My mum stopped feeding her salmon,
and the vet said she should see
a difference after about a month if
that was the cause. It’s now been
over a month and the poor cat
is still suffering.
Can you please suggest a possible
cause and treatment, or perhaps
recommend what tests I could ask
to have done?
Jacqueline Houston,
via email.AGA ANSWERS:
A
I am very sorry to hear about
your cat’s problem. Without
being able to examine her, it’s
very hard to advise on potential causes
and exact investigations. However, the
way I approach skin cases is very similar
most of the time.
First of all, I make sure the cat is
really well protected against parasites.
As with any skin investigation, we need
to look for mites, dermatophytes, and
other infectious causes. As your cat
did not respond to diet change and
steroid injections, I would recommend
a more detailed investigation. It usually
involves skin scrapings, coat brushings,
impression smears from the sore areas,
and biopsies. I would also recommend
checking your cat’s blood profile,
including testing for feline leukaemia
virus and feline immunodeficiency virus.
I would recommend that you speak
to your mum’s vet and discuss a referral
to a dermatologist or a feline medicine
specialist, as some cat skin diseases can
be very tricky to diagnose correctly.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for
a successful outcome! —Her fur is falling out!
Skin problems may
need to be referred
to a specialist.40-45 YC Cat Care CS(am)SW.indd 40 28/09/2017 11:06