"My kitty licks herself a lot" is something that can be observed by cat guardians. The presence of excessive licking in cats should make us think that he may be subjected to stressful situations or anxiety that are causing him to increase his grooming, which may lead to psychogenic alopecia, be caused by feline hyperesthesia syndrome or, as occurs in In most cases, it is due to some disease that causes itching. However, if the question is "why does my cat lick her vulva?" you have to think that the problem is in your genital or urinary system.
Have you noticed that your cat licks her genitals a lot? This can fit into the sexual cycle of the cat, so if she does it when she is in heat or on specific occasions you should not worry, but yes if she does it compulsively and frequently, since it can indicate, among other things, that your cat has an infection or inflammation somewhere in her genitourinary system. You could also have a wound or scratch in the area due to trauma. Do you want to know why your cat licks her vulva? Continue reading, on our site we tell you the causes that make your cat lick her parts so much and what to do.
Vaginitis/vulvovaginitis
Vaginitis refers to inflammation of the vagina, vulvitis refers to inflammation of the vulva, and vulvovaginitis refers to inflammation of the vulva and the vaginal vestibule or vagina. This process is usually caused by predisposing causes to produce infection, such as vaginal tumors, foreign bodies or some congenital malformation.
Among the symptoms that a cat may present with this process, in addition to insistent licking in the area, are itching and mucopurulent secretions due to to the infectious process.
Zeal
When a cat is in heat, her vulva may be red and swollen, but that doesn't mean she has vulvitis, and in most cases it is imperceptible by us. However, our cat does notice it and may feel strange and start licking the area, but in no case will it be as excessive as it would be if she had itching due to an infection.
Learn about Heat in cats in this other article to learn how to identify all the symptoms. You can also watch this video:
Pyometra
Pyometra is the name of uterine inflammation, secondary bacterial infection and accumulation of purulent exudate inside the uterus that can occur in the luteal phase of the cat's sexual cycle, in which progesterone is the dominant hormone. This hormone induces uterine glandular hyperplasia with cystic dilatation of the glands, which predisposes to rapid bacterial growth. In addition, this hormone inhibits local defenses and uterine muscle contractility, which increases the risk of infection when exudates are released.
Pyometra is much more frequent in bitches than in cats, since it can only appear if ovulation occurs, and the cats, unlike female dogs, present an induced ovulation, which means that they only ovulate when they are mounted by the male because the cat's penis has spicules that, when they rub against the walls of the female genitalia, induce ovulation. In this way, if they are not covered by a male and do not ovulate, pyometra does not occur, hence in house cats that do not have access to males it does not occur. Cats undergoing progestin therapy to suppress oestrus or if she has a pseudo-pregnancy (psychological pregnancy) are also more predisposed to suffering from it.
Pyometras occur especially in older cats and can be opened if the purulent contents of the uterus come outor closed if the cervix closes and discharge accumulates. Closed pyometra is more serious, since the toxins produced by the bacteria accumulated in the uterus increase, sepsis can occur and end with death.
The clinical signs of pyometra are discharge, from bloody to mucopurulent, from the vulva and licking of the area if it is open. If the pyometra is closed, these discharges would not be seen but fever, lethargy, anorexia, abdominal distension, dehydration and polyuria-polydipsia (they urinate and drink more) would be seen.
Metritis
Did your cat just have her kittens? Metritis is an inflammation of the uterus that can occur after parturition in queens due to ascent of bacteria from the vagina into the uterus, usually E. coli, streptococci or staphylococci are involved. It most frequently occurs in the first postpartum week and the risk factors for its appearance are complicated deliveries, obstetric manipulation, fetal death and retained placenta.
In addition to licking her vulva, a cat with metritis will present with fever, lethargy, anorexia, bloody or mucopurulent vaginal discharge, and, very frequently, rejection of her kittens
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
This is a group of diseases that share clinical signs (pain when urinating, urinating in small amounts or outside the tray, blood in the urine, among others) and can make your cat lick her vulva to try to calm the itching and pain a little. The most common cause of FLUTD is feline idiopathic cystitis, followed by urinary calculi and urethral obstructions Other less frequent causes are bacterial cystitis, anatomical defects or tumors.
Feline idiopathic cystitis is a pathology that causes inflammation in the wall of our cat's bladder, closely related to the stress to which our feline may be subjected, and can be non-obstructive or obstructive, which requires emergency treatment. It is a disease that is diagnosed by exclusion, that is, once other processes have been ruled out.
Urinary stones (urolithiasis) are usually struvite or calcium oxalate in cats, can cause acute kidney disease and hydronephrosis and are more predisposed to their development in older, obese and inactive cats. While struvite stones can be dissolved by food, they are more frequent in Oriental and Shorthair cats, oxalate stones are produced especially when calcium is increased and cannot be dissolved by urinary diet, but need to be surgical resection, as well as treating hypercalcaemia if present. The best prevention of urinary stones is to encourage water consumption in our cats, prevent them from becoming obese and try to increase their activity.
Injuries
Although the above causes are the most common when you see a cat licking her parts, it can also happen that she has suffered a trauma. Any blow, scratch, scratch or trauma in general can make your cat's genitals irritated, reddened and cause pain and itching, which will lead to a increased frequency of licking in the area.
What to do if my cat licks her genital area a lot?
If your cat frequently licks her vulva, it could be something minor and temporary or something much more serious that requires emergency treatment. Therefore, when your cat licks her parts excessively, it is best to go to a veterinary center to be able to treat the problem as soon as possible. As a guide, the preferred treatments for the causes mentioned would be the following:
- In cases of vulvitis, vulvovaginitis and vaginitis, antibiotics will be the therapy, as well as anti-inflammatories. It would be similar in cases of trauma, along with cleaning the area.
- In cases of postpartum metritis, useful drugs can be used to evacuate the contents of the uterus, such as prostaglandin F2alpha or cloprostenol, although it is not recommended in very sick cats. In addition to this, an aggressive treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics and fluid therapy will be necessary before undergoing any medical treatment or sterilization after weaning. If the cat is very weak and rejects the kittens, the kittens should be bottle-fed.
- Closed pyometra requires absolute emergency care, with stabilization of the cat and sterilization as soon as possible In open pyometra, if the cat is not going to be bred, sterilization should be performed after treatment with fluids, antibiotics, antiprogesterone, or prostaglandins.
