Sometimes our cats have greasy hair. In most cases it is an accidental event, the cause of which must be sought in the exploratory eagerness of our cats. They love to explore and venture into unlikely places, which are sometimes dirty. A good bath will solve this specific problem.
However, on other occasions greasy hair is the consequence of a disease or genetic alteration. Therefore, if your cat suffers from this last problem, on our site we want to provide you with solutions for oily hair in cats - causes and home remedies
Seborrheic diseases
Seborrhea is a chronic problem that some cats suffer from in their skin (these are often hereditary problems). Its main characteristics are the production of excessive scales and an abnormality in the lipids of the epidermis. There are two types of seborrhea:
- Dry seborrhea: Skin, generated scales, and hair appear dry.
- Oily seborrhea: The skin, the scales produced and the hair have a greasy appearance. It is very common for this type of seborrhea to make the cat itchy.
Causes of seborrhea
Seborrhea means flow of sebum. And this flow can be classified as follows:
- Primary seborrhea It is called this when an abnormality occurs in the process of keratinization of skin cells. Very often it is usually of hereditary origin. It is normally a mild affectation, although it must be treated permanently, since it is generally incurable as it is of genetic origin.
- Secondary seborrhea This is the name given to seborrhea caused by external or internal agents. They can be: endocrine diseases, parasites, nutritional deficiencies and allergies, among other causes. To be able to cure it, it is necessary to know the exact cause that produces it and cure the disease before eliminating the seborrhea caused by the ailment.
Diagnosis of feline seborrhea
To successfully treat feline seborrhea, a veterinary diagnosis is essential. Seborrhea is an alteration that can be very complex, being the symptom of a serious ailment of the cat.
On many occasions, secondary seborrhea of pathogenic origin is added to primary genetic seborrhea. For this reason it is essential to find out the causes of the skin anomaly that produces greasy hair in cats.
Feline seborrhea treatment
Depending on the diagnosis issued by the veterinarian, a treatment will be applied so that our cat stops suffering from greasy hair. A correct diet is essential to cover possible nutritional deficiencies. Likewise, the internal and external deworming of the feline will help in cases of secondary seborrhea.
Depending on the origin of seborrhea, the veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics, antifungals, or any other appropriate drug to treat the disease that causes seborrhea in cats.
Anti-seborrheic shampoos
In any case, in the event of feline seborrhea, it is essential to use a suitable shampoo An appropriate antiseborrheic shampoo consists of a solution aqueous, modified by surface-active agents or surfactants (soaps or detergents), chemical essences, and active therapeutic agents to specifically treat the cause of seborrhea in cats.
In any case, to successfully eliminate or alleviate feline seborrhea, it is essential that the cat's skin is very clean and specific agents are used against its type of seborrhea.
Home remedies
In a subject as complex as feline seborrhea, we must decline home remedies. Since seborrhea is a symptom of a disease, not a disease itself.
Therefore, if we do not have pharmacological or chemical studies, we will not be able to develop a formula that, in any case, must be prescribed by the veterinarian to attack the specific cause that produces seborrhea in our cat.
