Not commonly. There can certainly be reactions to something you put on your cat. Even the best flea and tick preventions and the product we use will occasionally cause a reaction. That can't be avoided, but it typically occurs shortly after you apply the product, and it's not going to be ongoing. If you're using a product that your cat has a significant reaction to, like if they're itchy and their skin's red, and you continue to use the product regularly, it could be ongoing. I often get asked, "We bathed my cat a month ago, and it's still itching. Is it because of the shampoo?" It's possible, but if your cat's having skin issues, it's mostly because of an underlying issue like allergies instead of a product. That has to be discussed with your veterinarian because there can be reactions, but it's not common.

Yes, we do see that in cats. I will say that the overwhelming majority of itchiness in cats is related to an underlying organic skin condition. It is also often other issues in the body that are causing skin conditions. There's usually an underlying cause that's not behavioral. In some cases, cats that are stressed, anxious, or dealing with high levels of day-to-day anxiety will pull their hair out, not because they're itchy, but because they're stressed. It is difficult to determine the issue in those situations. First, focus on the common things that cause cats to do that. It is often a skin condition, but it's also important to understand that sometimes, especially indoor cats, are dealing with a lot of stress that's related to a lack of environmental, mental, and physical stimulation. Work through factors like inter-cat conflict or conflict with other pets in the house. Many behavioral things impact cats that sometimes lead to them pulling out their hair. These are complicated situations, so it's best to work through those things with your veterinarian to get the best results.

In most cases, allergies are the cause. Different things can cause an itch. Primarily, you have the underlying condition. Suppose your cat has an allergy, like if they're allergic to a variety of pollens, your cat's immune system overreacts and causes inflammation. Inflammation for cats and dogs tends to manifest in the skin. That inflammation disrupting the skin barrier in combination with other factors causes itching.

On top of that, once your pet gets secondary skin infections, it leads to worse itching. The extent to which each layer causes itching depends on the individual situation. A combination of the inflammation because of the allergy and the secondary bacterial or yeast overgrowth cause itching. Sometimes there's no secondary infection, and it's just an underlying allergy or related condition that causes your cat to itch. Each situation is different, and because there are many things to tease out, it's important to have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian. In cases where the itching is difficult to manage, making the cats miserable, we refer to a board-certified dermatologist to get the best control possible.

There's a lot of genetic influence in the typical allergies we see. It's just something that's passed down, from cat to cat. Allergies are prevalent, and the exact cause in each individual case is hard to determine. Cancer has both a genetic and an environmental influence, with many factors coming into play. There's always ongoing research regarding cancer. Infectious diseases like ringworm are typically transmitted by another animal, from the soil, or from a human that's been in contact with another animal. There are many ways cats get infectious diseases, but it's usually through contact with another organism. These are broad terms of the big things we come across. We see a lot of skin infections in cats and dogs. Whether it is Staph bacteria or Malessezia yeast, it is not caused by catching it from other organisms. Secondary bacterial and yeast infections are the result of an underlying skin condition. Allergies, mites, and ringworm are primary conditions that lead to a disrupted skin barrier and inflammation. That allows the bacteria and yeast that are already on your cat's skin, just like they're already on our skin, to overgrow. Realizing that bacteria and yeast are not the primary issue is an important distinction. They have to be treated and managed, but the underlying cause is the big issue that has to be managed.

The things we see most are allergies. I like to break allergies into categories—environmental allergies caused by various pollens and things in the environment; Flea allergies, which are prevalent here in Fort Worth, Texas; and then food allergies, which is an allergy to a specific protein. So any combination of those occurs frequently. We often see certain infectious diseases like ringworm in younger cats, but they can infect a cat of any age. Different types of mites can affect a cat in different ways. Ear mites and different skin mites are relatively prevalent in younger cats in particular. Skin cancer, unfortunately, is not uncommon in cats. There's a variety of different types, some benign and others malignant. Skin cancers occur more often in middle-aged to older cats. Those are the broad categories we come across frequently.