Itchy and Scratchy

July 10, 2025

Treating Feline Dermatitis

By Nancy Kerr

While “Itchy & Scratchy”¹ can refer to the cartoon that periodically appears on the TV show, “The Simpsons,” it also can refer to an issue that your cat may be experiencing. Is your cat scratching and cleaning themselves more than usual? They may have something called “feline dermatitis,” which is basically an “inflammation of the skin. The rubbing and scratching from the inflammation may cause rashes, patches of bumps, or scabs.”² Due to the skin being broken or irritated, a secondary bacterial infection may occur.

Causes of Dermatitis

The root cause of most cases of dermatitis is an allergic reaction. “When a cat encounters a foreign substance or allergen, their body treats it as an invader and mounts an immune response. When the system releases immune cells known as ‘histamines,’ the skin becomes inflamed and itchy. The subsequent scratching and licking causes skin damage and secondary infections.”² Most common reaction triggers are “food allergies, flea bites, or an environmental allergen.”² Other things that may trigger skin inflammation include “flea saliva, adverse drug reaction, ringworm (a fungus), mites (mange), bacterial infections, arthritis (as it leads to excessive grooming), hormonal disorders, immune disorders, and contact reactions to irritants such as cleaning products.”²

Symptoms of Dermatitis

While there can be a variety of symptoms, the one constant is irritated skin. When you look at the cat’s skin, you should be able to find “rashes or clusters of tiny, red bumps somewhere on the skin. Other symptoms may include fur loss; continual scratching or grooming; dandruff; reddened, swollen skin; raw skin from scratching; patches of thick, hardened skin; a musty odour; and secondary infections, which may mean discharge and crusting.”²

Diagnosing Dermatitis

Since treatment depends on the type and cause of the inflammation, it is important to try to pinpoint the cause of the dermatitis. The veterinarian will review the symptoms then conduct a physical exam. Based on those findings, they may recommend an initial treatment and schedule follow-up appointments to monitor the cat’s progress. If general treatment options such as medicated shampoos, steroids, antibiotics, or flea therapy don’t resolve the issue, additional diagnostic testing will be conducted including “fur combings and scrapings to check for skin parasites, skin swabs to check for bacterial infections, fur plucks to check for fungal infections, allergy tests with IgE immunoglobulin, fecal analysis to check for parasites or gastrointestinal disorders, food elimination trials, or providing a hydrolyzed diet for 8 weeks, skin biopsies, particularly when autoimmune disease is suspected, and hormonal blood assays.”²

Types of Dermatitis

There are several types of dermatitis:

• Miliary dermatitis is usually the result of an allergy, and it makes the cat extremely itchy. Symptoms are small, crusty pustules that resemble millet seeds. As the disease progresses, the cat’s coat may develop sparse or bald patches. The most common areas for the lesions to appear include the face, neck, ears, lower spine, the base of the tail, flanks, and belly.
• Food allergy dermatitis occurs when a cat has a sensitivity to certain foods and reacts to a specific protein in their diet. Some of the more common allergens include chicken, beef, egg, and soya. This is usually first seen in the first three years of life. Symptoms include a rash or bumps that tend to appear around the neck and head, as well as the groin and paws. The anus may also be red, irritated, and itchy.
• Flea allergy dermatitis (a form of miliary dermatitis) is where some cats develop a sensitivity to flea saliva. There may be a genetic component to this. When these cats have a flea infestation, they get intensely itchy and scratch to excess. Symptoms include red skin, scabs, and fur loss. This occurs more often in outdoor cats, but even indoor cats can be affected. Removing the fleas should get rid of the issue.
• Solar dermatitis is from too much sun exposure. It is more common in felines that have pale or white skin and occurs primarily on the ears, nose, and around the eyes. Symptoms include pink, scaly areas of skin, and there may also be hair loss. As the condition progresses, the skin will become ulcerated and crusty. This condition can lead to squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer), so get your cat to a veterinarian ASAP.
• Atopic dermatitis can be a result of allergens which are inhaled, ingested, or make contact with the skin. When felines react to an allergen from their environment, they usually have incredibly itchy skin. The veterinarian can perform a blood test to diagnose what the cat is reacting to, and sometimes immunotherapy injections can be given to make the cat less reactive.
• Seborrheic dermatitis can be a result of allergies, a fungal infection, skin parasites, obesity, or a hormone imbalance. In each case, the skin’s sebaceous glands produce too much sebum. As the back is rich in sebaceous glands, this is often the area worst affected. The skin will be flaky or scaly and terribly itchy.
• Eosinophilic dermatitis is when allergens (including fleas and foods) can trigger certain blood cells known as eosinophils to collect on the skin. This form of dermatitis may appear as rodent ulcers, plaques, or granulomas and can cause significant discomfort, particularly around the mouth or on the lips. First signs may show up in cats under the age of two. For many, signs will continue to develop throughout their lives. However, this can be prevented by reducing allergen exposure and excellent parasite prevention. Using ceramic or stainless steel bowls for food and water is helpful, and some kitties benefit from a hydrolyzed, hypoallergenic diet.
• Malassezia dermatitis can be caused by an overgrowth of the yeast commonly found on a cat’s skin. Symptoms include skin that is red, irritated, scaly, greasy, thickened, darkened, or foul-smelling.

Treating Dermatitis

Treatment will be prescribed based on the symptoms and cause of the dermatitis and can include “flea prevention medications and environmental treatments, antihistamines to help counteract allergies, antibiotics for bacterial infections, corticosteroids to control inflammation and reduce itching, medicated shampoos to soothe irritated skin and treat surface infections, dietary supplements such as fatty acids to support skin health, and hypoallergenic diets, to be fed exclusively.”²

Prognosis:

It is not recommended to delay veterinary treatment if your cat is uncomfortable or has broken skin. Doing so can lead to skin issues which are more persistent and difficult to treat. With proper diet, skin care, and medication, a cat should be able to lead a comfortable and relatively itch-free life.

 

References:

1. The Itchy & Scratchy Show, Accessed 05/10/2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Itchy_%26_Scratchy_Show
2. Cat Dermatitis [With Pictures]: Our Vet Explains What to Do, Accessed 05/10/2025, https://cat-world.com/cat-dermatitis/