Feline Miliary Dermatitis: Symptoms to Watch

Feline miliary dermatitis is a term used to describe a skin condition in cats which is caused by an allergic reaction. This reaction makes the cat’s skin feel scabby and irritated. The crusty lesions can often be felt more than seen.

Dr. D. Grant said: “Miliary dermatitis is a cutaneous response to disease states seen in the cat. It is not in itself a diagnosis. Conditions which may lead to miliary dermatitis lesions can be divided into hypersensitivity disorders, parasitic causes, infections and miscellaneous causes.”

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Content:

1. What Is Miliary Dermatitis in Cats
2. Miliary Dermatitis Cat Symptoms and Causes
3. Treatment for Miliary Dermatitis in Cats
4. Conclusion

What Is Miliary Dermatitis in Cats

The most common cause of this dermatitis is from a flea bite. Some cats are allergic to the saliva of the flea and when bitten, even if only once, it can cause a severe reaction on the skin. Initially the dermatitis starts as a rash after reacting to the allergen in question. Then it develops into small lesions or scabs. These lesions can, and are often, aggravated by excessive licking and scratching by the cat.

“Lesions may be due to a number of underlying causes, particularly flea bite hypersensitivity, but also food hypersensitivity, ectoparasites and microbial infections including dermatophytes and bacteria”, - says Dr. A. Jackson.

Other causes of miliary dermatitis can be due to a nutritional deficiency, mites or lice, food or protein allergies, grass and even immune-mediated diseases.

Miliary Dermatitis Cat Symptoms and Causes

The most common allergens that cause this condition in cats are:

• Flea bites: even if no fleas or flea dirt is visible this is still a possible cause. All it takes is one flea to jump on, bite, and then jump off again.
• Food: it can be a protein or food source that your cat is allergic to. Luckily, we live in an age with various hypoallergenic and single protein sourced diets available. If a protein is the suspected allergen your vet may do a food trial with a novel protein source, such as lamb or tuna, that your cat would not normally be exposed to. Or there are prescription diets available through your vet that have been modified to contain hydrolysed protein – this means that the protein molecule has been broken down so that the cat’s body does not recognise it as an allergen and therefore no reaction occurs.
• Grass: this is a tricky one when you have a cat that loves the outdoors. If grass or pollen is determined as the allergen then medication or building a catio may be the only solution to resolving the dermatitis. If your cat is an indoor cat, then be sure to invest in a water fountain to help maintain healthy drinking habits. Cats prefer drinking from running water to still standing water.

Symptoms to look out for if you suspect miliary dermatitis:

• The most affected areas are usually the face, ears, base of tail, stomach, neck and lower spine.
• An itchy rash that your cat scratches, licks or bites at.
• In severe cases just touching an affected area causes a twitch.
• The rash usually progresses to scabs quickly (whether due to the allergen or scratching at it).
• Thinning of the hair in affected areas is often noticed.
• Excessive grooming.

If your cat can not resist the urge to scratch due to the rash being very itchy then he may inflict more trauma to the skin and even cause an infection. The scabs can then start looking like pustules.

Treatment for Miliary Dermatitis in Cats

To make a diagnosis your veterinarian will require a complete medical history and do a full assessment of the clinical signs present. If any fleas or flea dirt is seen, or if flea and tick treatment is not up to date then that is most likely the cause of the dermatitis.

Dr. C. Favrot says: “Exclusion of fleas and other parasites often requires treatment of the affected cat, other animals living in the household and the house, even if parasites are not found on the animal. Special attention should also be paid to Demodex gatoi infestations if this mite is present in the area in which the cat lives, or if the cat has a history of travel.”

If no evidence of fleas is seen and treatment is up to date, then your veterinarian may need to do further tests to determine the cause of the allergy. This could involve skin scrapings, allergy tests, biopsies and food trials. There is no quick fix for this condition, and it takes time to get under control, and keep it under control. It is so important at times like this to have invested in Emergency Fund to ensure that you can do the very best for your feline friend.

The first step in treatment is determining the cause of the dermatitis and then removing it. This could mean tick and flea treatment, a hypoallergenic food trial and/or even chronic medication such as cyclosporine. If the condition is severe your veterinarian may prescribe a course of cortisone to provide some relief while the allergen is being determined.

“As none of the possible diets can be regarded as 100% anallergenic, if a food allergy is strongly suspected, a further dietary trial with another protein source should be considered in patients not responding to an elimination diet. It is worth noting that owners of cats with outdoor access should be instructed to keep their pet indoors during the whole trial.” As stated in the article: Feline Non-Flea Induced Hypersensitivity Dermatitis.

Conclusion

For long term success and comfort the offending allergen must be removed from your cat’s life, if this is not possible then the condition must be managed as best you and your veterinarian can to provide relief to your furry friend. Your veterinarian will work out the best regime for you and your cat.