Surely you cat lovers have ever been surprised to pet your cat, and notice small pimples on its skin You can that you would not even have noticed, or on other occasions, its appearance is so evident and alarming that it has taken you to the vet.
In this article on our site, we will try to summarize in a simple way the origin of feline miliary dermatitis, the symptoms that presents and the treatment to follow, aside from other advice, keep reading:
What exactly is feline miliary dermatitis?
Miliary dermatitis is a common sign in many pathologies To be able to compare it, it is equivalent to saying that a person has a "cough". The origin of the cough can be multiple and may even have nothing to do with the respiratory system, the same thing happens with feline miliary dermatitis.
The terms "Miliary dermatitis" refer to the appearance on the cat's skin of a variable number of pustules and crusts That is, it is a skin rash, common especially on the head, neck and back, but it is also quite common on the abdomen and we can see it when waxing that area.
There are usually many and they are small, which is why the word " miliary " is used. Although we have not realized it (because the cat can live outdoors) it is almost always accompanied by pruritus (itching), which, in fact, is directly responsible for the appearance of this rash.
The most common causes of miliary dermatitis:
- Parasites (ear mites, notoedric mange mites, lice…)
- Flea bite allergy dermatitis (DAPP)
- Atopic dermatitis (can be defined as a generalized allergy, from dust mite to pollen, including various materials)
- Food allergies (allergy to any component of feed)
External parasites as a cause
The most common thing is that our cat has a parasite that causes pruritus, and scratching causes the rash we know as miliary dermatitis. Here is a brief summary of the most common:
- Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis): This small albino mite lives in the ears of cats, causing great itching with your activity. It usually gives rise to the appearance of miliary dermatitis on the neck and around the pinna, even in the nape area.
- Notohedral mange mite (Notoedres cati): A cousin to the dog sarcoptic mange mite, but in a feline version. They often call it "the scabies mite of the head", since in the initial stages, the lesions are usually seen on the ears, the skin of the neck, the nasal plane… The skin thickens considerably due to continuous scratching. You can get more information about this disease in the article on our site about mange in cats.
- Lice: it is very common to see them in colonies of cats. Their bite (they feed on blood), again causes an itch that the cat tries to calm with scratching… And from there, the rash that we refer to as miliary dermatitis arises.
What treatment should the cat follow?
These external parasites respond to the application of selamectin topically (on undamaged skin), or systemically (for example, subcutaneous ivermectin). Today we find on the market quite a few pipettes containing selamectin and also ear preparations to apply directly to the ears based on ivermectin.
Yes, as in almost all acaricide treatments, it must be repeated after 14 days, and a third dose may even be necessary. In the case of lice, fipronil applied several times from time to time is usually quite effective.
Flea bite allergy as a cause
One of the most frequent allergies, which gives rise to miliary dermatitis, is allergy to flea bites. These parasites inject an anticoagulant in order to suck the cat's blood, and a considerable number of felines are allergic to it.
Even after all the fleas have been eliminated, this allergen continues to be present in the cat's body for days, causing itching even though those responsible have been eliminated (in reality a single flea already serves to trigger the process if the cat is allergic, but the more fleas, the miliary dermatitis is more severe almost always.
The treatment of allergy to flea bites as a cause of miliary dermatitis is quite simple: we must exterminate the fleas. There are effective pipettes that repel the insect before it can feed.
Atopic dermatitis as a cause
It is complex to define atopy. We will refer to it as the process in which the cat is allergic to various things and this generates the inevitable itching, which is associated with the appearance of those scabs and pustules that we call it miliary dermatitis.
Treating it is almost more complex than diagnosing or defining it, being necessary to resort to therapy with corticosteroids and other adjuvant treatments that help, although they do not do much by themselves), such as polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Food allergies as a cause
You see it more and more often, but maybe it's because we care more and more about our cats and attend to things that we didn't notice before.
Many times there is no trace of fleas or parasites, but our cat scratches continuously, causing that miliary dermatitis, which As in the previous cases, it can become contaminated and lead to a more or less serious infection.
It is not a rule, but the itching usually appears on the front (head and neck) and over time, it tends to generalize. It is frustrating, because many times corticosteroid therapy is tried but it does not give the expected result. There may be less scratching for a few days, but there is no clear improvement. Until the previous diet that the cat has been on is completely eliminated, and it is tried to maintain it for 4- 5 weeks with a hypoallergenic feed and water, exclusively.
By the second week we will notice that the miliary dermatitis is receding, the pruritus is milder, and by the fourth, it has practically disappeared. Reintroducing the previous diet to check that in two days the cat scratches again is the definitive way to diagnose it, but almost no veterinarian considers it necessary.
Many other causes of miliary dermatitis in cats (pyodermas, that is, superficial skin infections, autoimmune diseases with difficult names, other external parasites apart from those mentioned, etc.) but the intention of this article on our site is to highlight that miliary dermatitis is simply a symptom common to countless causes, and that until the cause is eliminated, dermatitis will not go away.
