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Flaky-looking patches.

bean406

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So, I don't know if Lilo just has sensitive skin or if this is a "sphynx thing" but I noticed that she has some flaky patches. The skin eventually comes off kind of like a scab but the skin that comes off is opaque. She has some patches on her neck and a few on her legs. I didn't notice these until after her first bath. I didn't even use soap because I don't have any picked out yet. I just put some Aveeno oatmeal bath in the water (for sensitive skin) and figured that would be good but now I'm not so sure.

Any thoughts?
 

Gizzymom

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Don't know if this is going to make sense.. but is the skin just "flaky" like ours when it is dry? Or is it peeling like after a sunburn?

If it's just flaky... dry skin. Some coconut oil or cetaphil cream helps, especially in the winter.
 

bean406

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I use coconut oil like every other day. I tried to take pictures to post on her but can't seem to get a good one that shows what I'm talking about. It's more like an after sunburn type flakiness...like definite little spots that peel off. The stuff that peels off is reddish/brown tinted and pretty much see-thru.
 

Sleepyheadkitten

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Kinda sounds like a chemical burn to me? I'd avoid the oatmeal addition and keep putting on coconut oil as long as it isn't irritating the patches more.

I know one of my kittens had reactions to Tide detergent- so on occasion, they can have odd skin reactions.
 

bean406

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Yeah...no more oatmeal bath...I'll use that for myself I guess. The patches don't seem to bother her. I smoothed her down with coconut oil this morning...maybe it would work if she would stop licking it off!! :Surprise:
 

Sleepyheadkitten

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Haha, but at least it's GOOD for her! It's even good for you to eat a tablespoon a day! (But I don't recommend sharing the same jar with your kitty- hahaha).
 

bean406

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Haha, but at least it's GOOD for her! It's even good for you to eat a tablespoon a day! (But I don't recommend sharing the same jar with your kitty- hahaha).

Hehe...no I bought a 2-pack so I have a jar for the kitchen and one for the kitty and me...great skin moisturizer and smells so yummy :ThumbsUp:.
 

bean406

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Here's a pic of her leg showing the "spots". Her neck is better. Legs just did this the past couple days long after the bath....hmm.

 

pooner

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Definitely looks like a reaction to something. But I'm not an expert. Hopefully someone on here knows what it is???
Glad it doesn't seem to hurt, poor thing.
 

bean406

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Definitely looks like a reaction to something. But I'm not an expert. Hopefully someone on here knows what it is???
Glad it doesn't seem to hurt, poor thing.

Yes, thankfully she doesn't seem to be bothered by it...even when I touch the areas and rub coconut oil on she's ok.
 

MissMySphynxBoys

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I'm not expert, but it almost looks like a hive or allergic reaction. I wouldn't think the Aveeno would cause a problem, but who knows. Has she gotten new clothes or bedding? How about changes in your laundry detergent or dryer sheets. How about new furnishings, throws, or carpets at your house?
 

bean406

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I didn't think Aveeno would be a problem either. My bestie uses it for her daughter with eczema and her sensitive skin so I figured it was gentle. I haven't done any laundry yet since she's been home and her pet bed is really the only new thing, her blankies came with her when I picked her up.
 

marlene

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What you're describing happens to Pedda, she'll get a couple of places just like your pictures. Initially they're reddish but the next day they're all dried out with that scab you can pick off just like you described.

I've always thought it was a skin reaction to something she touched. I put a little dab of drugstore over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream on each spot and rub it in. Within an hour I see improvement so there's no doubt it's an allergic dermatitis.

We've never been able to figure out what causes it. It's only teeny weeny areas, about the size of my little fingernail. Always in different places of her body. And it happens sporadically - she might get some twice in a week and then be fine for a month.

I have a ton of allergies and wouldn't dream of changing any soaps, cleaning products, etc. New stuff like clothes or bedding is washed before it touches her.

Heck if I can figure it out. Will probably never know.
 

bean406

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Ok, so she still has a few flaky patches but they seem to come and go...now, the last several days I have noticed she seems to be covered in a reddish-brown "film". I don't really know the best thing to call it but the color rubs off on her blankets, baby wipes, our clothes, everything. I don't know if it's just oil/dirt but I keep her clean so I don't know what it is....I was told that bathing more than once or twice a week can cause sphynx's to dry out too much but she looks so dirty...I can't even see her true skin colors through this grime. At Mostly on her legs and underside...and under her neck.
 

ckutkuhn7

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Ok, so she still has a few flaky patches but they seem to come and go...now, the last several days I have noticed she seems to be covered in a reddish-brown "film". I don't really know the best thing to call it but the color rubs off on her blankets, baby wipes, our clothes, everything. I don't know if it's just oil/dirt but I keep her clean so I don't know what it is....I was told that bathing more than once or twice a week can cause sphynx's to dry out too much but she looks so dirty...I can't even see her true skin colors through this grime. At Mostly on her legs and underside...and under her neck.

Are you continuously cleaning these areas? Is her legs, underside and neck the areas where the skin flakeyness are? If so and your still cleaning them more than once a week then that could contribute to the dryness. This film you are referring too is their natural oils that happen to collect dirt from around the house or what not. Her natural oils should help heal her skin up. Just my two cents worth. I'm sure I only stated the obvious but wanted to throw it out there just incase.
 

bean406

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I have wiped her a few times with baby wipes in between her baths...I thought it was probably dirt and maybe her natural oil makes it a brownish-red color...I have been putting coconut oil on her like every 3 days...maybe that's too much? Not enough? I probably need a better shampoo for when she does get a bath as well.
 

ckutkuhn7

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I have wiped her a few times with baby wipes in between her baths...I thought it was probably dirt and maybe her natural oil makes it a brownish-red color...I have been putting coconut oil on her like every 3 days...maybe that's too much? Not enough? I probably need a better shampoo for when she does get a bath as well.

Its hard to tell what would be too much or not enough without seeing her and I'm no expert anyhow. I've never used Aveeno except for my youngest son since he seems to be more sensitive then my other kids.
Putting myself in your shoes, and in my own opinion - if it were me, I'd not clean/wash her for a full 7 days, give her a bath as you would normally and then put a shirt or sweater on her and keep an eye on it for the next week. This way you can eliminate what your putting on her is making her worse or better and it gives her skin a chance to do what its suppose to do on its own. If it gets worse then you know putting the extra oil on her was helping, if it gets better then you'll know that putting the extra oil on her was making it worse.
Are you feeding the same thing the breeder was feeding? Are you giving her tap water or filtered water? Just brainstorming, maybe a food allergy or a change in the water causing a issue of some sort??
 

bean406

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I will bathe her this weekend and not add anything and see what happens. As of now, her little sweater I put on her get's dirty SOOO fast when she wears it. I need to wash it again...it's covered in that reddish-brown residue as are her blankies.

She is on a different diet that what the breeder had her on and she drinks filtered water....not tap.

Thanks for helping me brainstorm. I will try and take a pic of it and post later after I get out of class...that might help.
 

havingalook

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Here's a pic of her leg showing the "spots". Her neck is better. Legs just did this the past couple days long after the bath....hmm.


It might be worth getting her checked over for skin irritation or even a fungal infection, just to be on the safe side.
 

bean406

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The vet didn't say anything when I took her in for her kitten exam but I suppose getting a skin test isn't standard. I will definitely get it looked at if it's a continuous thing. She just had her midweek bath and she left a dark ring around the tub...ugh she was soooo dirty. I'm running out of blankies to put in her bed cause she seems to soil them with "gunk" so fast. I just washed her with baby shampoo and didn't put anything on her skin after that so I am going to see what happens without product.
 
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Stop bathing her.

The more you bathe her, the more oil she will produce. Just stop bathing her. Feed a high quality food, preferably canned, adding some fish oil to the food will help dry skin. About 500mg per day for her would be ok. I give my 20lb dog 4800mg per day of fish oil, but he had demodex and is prone to skin eruptions.

Just clean her ears 1-2 times weekly, and get the gunk off of her nails weekly to every two weeks.

The oil will stop mass producing itself after you stop trying to get it off. The brown staining on the furniture, blankets, etc, is just a fact of Sphynx life. I bathe my white boy once a month unless he's showing. He gets filthy if I bathe him too often.

When you do bathe her, don't use a shampoo, it's very drying, especially baby shampoo. Use a body wash, such as Dove Cream Body Wash or Dove Cream Oil Body Wash. Baron's breeder has used the first one for over 10 years with great success. When bathing, also use bath gloves to exfoliate her skin. This will help prevent blackhead formation and will keep her from getting breakouts/pimples/etc.

So, main thing... Stop bathing her :)
 
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