Elderly cat with matts/dry skin on back

OldNotWIse

We have an elderly cat who has developed what looks like matts and dry skin on her back. The problem is she cannot really be handled as she is semi-wild. We actually only acquired her two years back as a stray and have no real idea what she went through before. She sleeps inside and will come close enough for food but she's not so good with physical contact! Some preliminary online reading suggests she may not be getting to clean this area properly due to her age, and I am unsure what to do. Bringing her to a vet is a huge and stressful production for her that involves trapping etc. We succesfully treated her for an eye ulcer last year, but it involved having to pounce on her in her sleep with a towel and have someone else administer drops and cream. I felt guilty but we had to save the eye and in the end it cleared up. So, I suppose "pouncing and shaving" could be an option! :P

Any suggestions?

Thanks

piebaldskwbald

OldNotWIse wrote: »

We have an elderly cat who has developed what looks like matts and dry skin on her back. The problem is she cannot really be handled as she is semi-wild. We actually only acquired her two years back as a stray and have no real idea what she went through before. She sleeps inside and will come close enough for food but she's not so good with physical contact! Some preliminary online reading suggests she may not be getting to clean this area properly due to her age, and I am unsure what to do. Bringing her to a vet is a huge and stressful production for her that involves trapping etc. We succesfully treated her for an eye ulcer last year, but it involved having to pounce on her in her sleep with a towel and have someone else administer drops and cream. I felt guilty but we had to save the eye and in the end it cleared up. So, I suppose "pouncing and shaving" could be an option! :P

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Trying to figure out the cause of the dry skin is the problem here. It may well be to do with age but can also be a variety of other illnesses which can occur as the cat gets older etc. It may be an allergic reaction as cats get older they become more sensitive to allergens in the environment etc-any changes in diet or use of new products on your floors? Diet or environmental triggers are an important consideration in skin problems. Ringworm is also a possible cause-is it scabby at all? Sometimes cats can get an atopic dermatitis where the cause is unknown and treatment with corticosteroids is the best option. I know it is stressful for both you and the cat but perhaps a trip to the vet would be warranted if it does not improve. Oral steroids can be easily placed in the food.

piebaldskwbald

OldNotWIse wrote: »

We have an elderly cat who has developed what looks like matts and dry skin on her back. The problem is she cannot really be handled as she is semi-wild. We actually only acquired her two years back as a stray and have no real idea what she went through before. She sleeps inside and will come close enough for food but she's not so good with physical contact! Some preliminary online reading suggests she may not be getting to clean this area properly due to her age, and I am unsure what to do. Bringing her to a vet is a huge and stressful production for her that involves trapping etc. We succesfully treated her for an eye ulcer last year, but it involved having to pounce on her in her sleep with a towel and have someone else administer drops and cream. I felt guilty but we had to save the eye and in the end it cleared up. So, I suppose "pouncing and shaving" could be an option! :P

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Trying to figure out the cause of the dry skin is the problem here. It may well be to do with age but can also be a variety of other illnesses which can occur as the cat gets older etc. It may be an allergic reaction as cats get older they become more sensitive to allergens in the environment etc-any changes in diet or use of new products on your floors? Diet or environmental triggers are an important consideration in skin problems. Ringworm is also a possible cause-is it scabby at all? Sometimes cats can get an atopic dermatitis where the cause is unknown and treatment with corticosteroids is the best option. I know it is stressful for both you and the cat but perhaps a trip to the vet would be warranted if it does not improve. Oral steroids can be easily placed in the food.

OldNotWIse

piebaldskwbald wrote: »

Trying to figure out the cause of the dry skin is the problem here. It may well be to do with age but can also be a variety of other illnesses which can occur as the cat gets older etc. It may be an allergic reaction as cats get older they become more sensitive to allergens in the environment etc-any changes in diet or use of new products on your floors? Diet or environmental triggers are an important consideration in skin problems. Ringworm is also a possible cause-is it scabby at all? Sometimes cats can get an atopic dermatitis where the cause is unknown and treatment with corticosteroids is the best option. I know it is stressful for both you and the cat but perhaps a trip to the vet would be warranted if it does not improve. Oral steroids can be easily placed in the food.

Her diet hasn't changed at all (well not in the two years we've had her). She eats Royal Canin dried food and has cooked ham as an occasional treat. Also give her the odd tin of sardines to keep her condition a bit. I did manage to administer an advocate treatment a while back. I managed to get a good luck when she was sleeping at the weekend and there are definitely no scabs. It looks more like white/dry skin and matts. The reason I thought it wasnt anything irritating her is because she is not scratching or at it. I've watched her closely when she is cleaning and she does her belly and legs but never seen her do her back!

janmaree

One of my cats had a serious matt problem too and I dabbed edible oil with cotton wool liberally around the matts as often as I could catch her. She looked a total fright for a while and couldn't get up on the furniture but it worked. I kept finding all these dense wads of fluff all over the place that she had removed herself. I don't honestly know how it works other than to concentrate their attention on problem areas. My cat has breathing problems so grooming is a chore for her and even though she's much more manageable than your cat is, I still had to cover a lot of mileage following her around to oil her up! Coconut oil would be really good if you can liquefy it without it getting too hot but I ended up using vegetable oil most of the time. Hope it helps.

OldNotWIse

janmaree wrote: »

One of my cats had a serious matt problem too and I dabbed edible oil with cotton wool liberally around the matts as often as I could catch her. She looked a total fright for a while and couldn't get up on the furniture but it worked. I kept finding all these dense wads of fluff all over the place that she had removed herself. I don't honestly know how it works other than to concentrate their attention on problem areas. My cat has breathing problems so grooming is a chore for her and even though she's much more manageable than your cat is, I still had to cover a lot of mileage following her around to oil her up! Coconut oil would be really good if you can liquefy it without it getting too hot but I ended up using vegetable oil most of the time. Hope it helps.

Sounds like a great idea, I might give it a try. Re the breathing, that could definitely be a factor. Her breathing is never 100%, she was at death's door when we found her and vet suspected she had years of flu as she'd lost most of her teeth because of ulceration ec. Poor mite

encore1

My cat gets matts on his back too, near the tail and hates being brushed. I use coconut oil and rub it into the matts and the skin and he loves it! he spends ages afterwards licking it off and the matts always disappear. Dunno whether it's the coconut oil or the licking but it works a charm!

aonb

can you include coconut oil in a cats food? I gave it to my dog, and found it did wonders for his skin and various itches/scratchiness.

Pumpkinseeds

If she's not able to reach the areas the knots and dry skin are in then I wouldn't put anything on the areas to encourage her to groom there. If she can't reach then it would just make the problem worse. I think all you can do is the pouncing.:)

OldNotWIse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

If she's not able to reach the areas the knots and dry skin are in then I wouldn't put anything on the areas to encourage her to groom there. If she can't reach then it would just make the problem worse. I think all you can do is the pouncing.:)

That's kind of what I am thinking, although if I am going to pounce and shave, from a stress point of view, I might be better to pounce and bring to the vet Though I've to bring another to the vet this evening as it is. Feck it there is always something. He passed a little blood in his urine last night and I am up the walls with worry. Of course, one's mind always goes to the most sinister explanation And I did myself no favours by googling it It wasn't so much spots of blood, it was more like all his urine was pale pink Hoping it is just a case of cystitis as he was trying to pee a number of times with nothing coming out. Toxin build up is a concern until we get him there but he did pee a little.

Pumpkinseeds

Is probably just cystitis, always worrying when bloods involved. It's hard to know what to suggest with oap puss.:D We had to cut knots out of Felix and the difference in him is amazing, he's full of fun and galloping around like a kitten, so they must have been hurting him. A trip to the vet might be the best thing, and you'd be getting her an MOT as well.

OldNotWIse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Is probably just cystitis, always worrying when bloods involved. It's hard to know what to suggest with oap puss.:D We had to cut knots out of Felix and the difference in him is amazing, he's full of fun and galloping around like a kitten, so they must have been hurting him. A trip to the vet might be the best thing, and you'd be getting her an MOT as well.

True, I wouldn't mind getting the mats off, a vacc, another advocate and possibly have them check out her heart/lungs. At least her eyes have cleared up. Though I think tonight I will be bringing my boy first as it seems a little more pressing. I can't manage both at the same time but will try to book her in for early next week.

It's nice to see them having those kitten moments isnt it? I spot ours sometimes, when she thinks nobody is looking. She loves lying out in the morning sun on the deck as it gets quite warm and sometimes she will stop midway through her (albeit unsuccessful) bath and start rolling on her back and playing with imaginary toys. It's lovely to see and I appreciate it more with her because she had such a hard life and was so sickly when we got her.

I'll report back on the boy once we know what is going on with him

Pumpkinseeds

I know what you mean. All 4 of ours had rough lives before adopting us. I can't help but smile when I see them snuggled down asleep and cosy in the house or sunbathing in the garden.

OldNotWIse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I know what you mean. All 4 of ours had rough lives before adopting us. I can't help but smile when I see them snuggled down asleep and cosy in the house or sunbathing in the garden.

Ah I know It's like they've earned it. Ours is even a little more um...plump than she should be....and I know we should put her on a diet but she's so old and she loves her food

ps I love the way you say they adopted you lol, so true

OldNotWIse

We took our boy to the vet. She didn't really give an indication of what it is, despite me asking her the likelihood of it being something sinister. She just prescribed Betamox for two weeks and said if that clears it up, then it is likely to have been cystitis. If it doesn't, he will require further tests. Should they not be doing the "further tests" now though, in case it is something sinsiter. Time being of the essence and all that... Or is this normally how it is done? She also said he has gingivitis, which baffles me. How would he even get this? Will the betamox hit this too?

DerTierarzt

OldNotWIse wrote: »

prescribed Betamox for two weeks and said if that clears it up, then it is likely to have been cystitis.

Presuming a history consistent with cystitis, broad spectrum antimicrobial treatment is the most likely treatment option to result in a positive outcome. If however your cat is not recuperating well, consider asking for non-absorbably cat litter, and siphoning it to obtain a free-catch urinary sample. This can be analysed by your veterinary practice without the stress of bringing your cat for aetiology such as crystalluria, inflammation, infiltration, infection etc.

She also said he has gingivitis, which baffles me. How would he even get this? Will the betamox hit this too?

In general, a wet diet creates a film on the teeth, bacteria adhere to this film and track up into the gums causing gingivitis. Otherwise viruses can cause such a disease, and sometimes genetic predisposition. Presuming one of the causes is bacterial in origin, you may notice an improvement in your cat's gumline/ability to eat while the antibiotic is active. Dry food will help break down tartar and plaque as it is chewed.

OldNotWIse

DerTierarzt wrote: »

Presuming a history consistent with cystitis, broad spectrum antimicrobial treatment is the most likely treatment option to result in a positive outcome. If however your cat is not recuperating well, consider asking for non-absorbably cat litter, and siphoning it to obtain a free-catch urinary sample. This can be analysed by your veterinary practice without the stress of bringing your cat for aetiology such as crystalluria, inflammation, infiltration, infection etc.



In general, a wet diet creates a film on the teeth, bacteria adhere to this film and track up into the gums causing gingivitis. Otherwise viruses can cause such a disease, and sometimes genetic predisposition. Presuming one of the causes is bacterial in origin, you may notice an improvement in your cat's gumline/ability to eat while the antibiotic is active. Dry food will help break down tartar and plaque as it is chewed.

Thank you

He seems much better now. No more blood in urine (I've been lining his tray with sheets of white paper and checking them after. He did strain for a day or two after but this too seems to have cleared up. Thank you for the info re diet. We have switched to RC dried food and they all seem to really like it. I have a suspicion that the food he was on before was causing some of his problems.

OldNotWIse

Hi just wanted to post an update. We wound up having to take herself to the vet as we noticed she was having difficulies breathing Her eyes were runny also so it looked like flu, although her appetite was not affected. I was afraid, being an older cat, that she might succumb to pneumonia so we brought her last night. Vet was amazing with her - he is the only one who knows how to handle her tbh, and she was completely calm as he just got straight down to business. He started by shaving the matts off. She hadn't been able to reach those parts (thanks to the poster who suggested this!). Great to have them gone. He said her chest wasn't too bad, that it might be mild flu. Gave her a shot of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory and follow up tabs. He also have her a dose of broadline (which I had never heard of but is supposed to be superior to advocate as it covers for ticks and roundworm also). The lump on her head that a different vet (who I didn't like or trust) had told us was a tumour turned out to be a hematoma most likely from an old injury. He just drained the blood off with a syringe.

All in all, delighted that she got everything sorted and he was so good with her. I wont say she's like a new cat, but she did rediscover he miaow (which had been gone for some time) at 4am this morning, and even at that hour, we were delighted to hear it again

I couldn't recommend this vet enough, though I know I can't post details here. I can PM if anyone wants.

Pumpkinseeds

That's brilliant news, she'll be feeling so much more comfortable now. We've been using the Broadline for a while now, our vet replaced the Advocate with it too. It's brilliant when you find a vet who is great with cats, it's amazing how many aren't good at all with them.:)

OldNotWIse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

That's brilliant news, she'll be feeling so much more comfortable now. We've been using the Broadline for a while now, our vet replaced the Advocate with it too. It's brilliant when you find a vet who is great with cats, it's amazing how many aren't good at all with them.:)

Yup he's fantastic. Where others might be using gloves or stressing the cat out by trying to catch it, he just reaches in swiftly and gets her in a scruff lock and she becomes really relaxed. God love her I was petting her so much because I never get to actually touch her, so it was a novelty lol

Alun

We've noticed a bigdifference too with individual vets within the same practice. Some are definitely 'cat people', and are quite assertive and confident in their handling of the cats, which actually puts them at ease, while others are either too hesitant, or start going all 'cooey' trying to charm them out of their cages which actually just stresses them out.

Pumpkinseeds

One of our vets was notoriously wary of cats and we used to avoid him when he was on, which meant he was awful with them and they sensed the anxiety, which made them worse. Since then he adopted a pair of kittens that were abandoned and I noticed a massive difference last time we brought one of our cats into him.