A cat’s skin and coat are among the most visible signs of its health and vitality. Both are of great importance to the body’s protection mechanisms against things like infectious agents or temperature changes. In addition, good nutrition is essential for the normal health of your cat’s skin. Because of this, cats need nutrients such as: proteins, fatty acids, zinc, copper, vitamins A and B. Nutritional deficiencies can cause various skin conditions or can increase susceptibility to parasites such as mites, fleas and lice.
Nutrient deficiencies
Protein deficiency.
May cause red, scaly skin, loss of hair color and hair breakage. Irregularly patchy skin lesions and dry, brittle hair coats are seen.
Fatty acid deficiency.
Scaly skin, thick dull coats or hair loss and itchy skin are some of the changes caused by essential fatty acid deficiency. This is seen in felines fed low-fat diets for prolonged periods, pets with fat malabsorption syndromes or those with unusually high requirements for these nutrients.
Riboflavin deficiency.
Lack of riboflavin can cause dry, flaky skin with redness and hair loss.
Biotin deficiency.
It causes the coat to thin or lose pigment and the skin to become dry, flaky or oily.
Pantothenic acid deficiency.
Can lead to loss of hair pigment and hair loss.
Deficiencies of B vitamins are rare among pets consuming good quality commercial pet foods. However, they can occur if they are fed exclusively scraps, treats and other foods that are not made especially for cats. Vitamin deficiency can cause dry, flaky cat skin and coat loss. Similar symptoms appear if present in excess.
Cat care tips
Methods to care for your cat’s skin and coat
Accompany the brushing with caresses or by feeding him right after so that the cat relates it with a pleasant moment. Brushing will help with the cat’s dead hair, which can generate hairballs and subsequently vomiting. For long-haired cats it is advisable to brush them once a day, for short-haired cats once a week is enough.
To undo the tangles we can use talcum powder to make brushing easier. It is very important to know that we should never cut their hair with scissors, since it is possible to damage the skin of our small feline.
Older cats or cats with overweight problems may have problems with cleaning their body, so in these cases it is more advisable that we help them with brushing.
Take care of your feline friend and keep healthy what is a kind of armor for them, their skin and fur. Besides, isn’t it nice to see them fluffy and clean?
Disclaimer: “The advice in this article is for reading purposes only. Always seek professional advice before following any
of the methods/ advice in this article”
