sarmar
Lairian
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2026
- Messages
- 7
- Points
- 4
Hi all,
I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's maybe dealt with something similar…
My cat Sam (Sphynx, turns 4 tomorrow!) has had skin issues on and off for over a year. We first noticed shallow scabs on his neck, then similar shallow/liquidy-then-hardening scabs on his back. We assumed it was from play or his sister Sally licking/grooming him, so honestly we didn't take it too seriously at first since he's furless and marks show up easily.
In March he developed an issue on one back paw. His vet thought it was a yeast issue, so we treated with MiconaHex+Triz wipes (and Douxo S3 Calm Mousse, used less consistently) but it improved without ever fully resolving. In May he developed more scabs on his back, and with the paw still not fully normal, we went back to the vet, who prescribed a Prednisolone suspension. That cleared everything up for a bit.
We decided to see a dermatologist a few weeks ago. He wasn’t currently having a flare, but cytology showed Malassezia (yeast), so the dermatologist gave us Douxo S3 Pyo shampoo. She did bloodwork for environmental allergies (we are still waiting on those results) and suggested we start a food allergy trial. We have not gotten far with this food trial because Sam refuses all the foods the vet says we need to use since they don’t have cross contamination.
A couple days ago, he started getting a few small scabs on his back and stomach, as well as another paw issue on his other back paw. The paw issue especially concerns me. It looks gruesome and he is licking/chewing it a lot more than usual. The dermatologist says it is feline atopic skin syndrome and Malassezia dermatitis (so pretty much an allergic condition with a yeast infection riding on top) with possible food allergy as well. She said to do 4 weeks oral fluconazole, Douxo S3 Pyo shampoo every 2 weeks, vinegar rinses, and a 3-month strict food trial (novel protein/hydrolyzed). Also waiting on environmental allergy bloodwork.
I am honestly a little suspicious of food allergies, given the only real paw flare was this past March and currently, so it feels like it could be seasonal/environmental. Maybe I am just dreading a food trial though! Haha
For anyone who's been through something similar with their Sphynx…
I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's maybe dealt with something similar…
My cat Sam (Sphynx, turns 4 tomorrow!) has had skin issues on and off for over a year. We first noticed shallow scabs on his neck, then similar shallow/liquidy-then-hardening scabs on his back. We assumed it was from play or his sister Sally licking/grooming him, so honestly we didn't take it too seriously at first since he's furless and marks show up easily.
In March he developed an issue on one back paw. His vet thought it was a yeast issue, so we treated with MiconaHex+Triz wipes (and Douxo S3 Calm Mousse, used less consistently) but it improved without ever fully resolving. In May he developed more scabs on his back, and with the paw still not fully normal, we went back to the vet, who prescribed a Prednisolone suspension. That cleared everything up for a bit.
We decided to see a dermatologist a few weeks ago. He wasn’t currently having a flare, but cytology showed Malassezia (yeast), so the dermatologist gave us Douxo S3 Pyo shampoo. She did bloodwork for environmental allergies (we are still waiting on those results) and suggested we start a food allergy trial. We have not gotten far with this food trial because Sam refuses all the foods the vet says we need to use since they don’t have cross contamination.
A couple days ago, he started getting a few small scabs on his back and stomach, as well as another paw issue on his other back paw. The paw issue especially concerns me. It looks gruesome and he is licking/chewing it a lot more than usual. The dermatologist says it is feline atopic skin syndrome and Malassezia dermatitis (so pretty much an allergic condition with a yeast infection riding on top) with possible food allergy as well. She said to do 4 weeks oral fluconazole, Douxo S3 Pyo shampoo every 2 weeks, vinegar rinses, and a 3-month strict food trial (novel protein/hydrolyzed). Also waiting on environmental allergy bloodwork.
I am honestly a little suspicious of food allergies, given the only real paw flare was this past March and currently, so it feels like it could be seasonal/environmental. Maybe I am just dreading a food trial though! Haha
For anyone who's been through something similar with their Sphynx…
- Did a food trial help? If so, do you have any tips for picky cats? And do you know of any brands of food that wouldn’t have cross contamination with chicken or fish?
- Do you have any tips for managing recurring Malassezia/yeast on Sphynx skin? The vet recomended wiping him daily with a solution of 1 part vinegar to 20 parts water?
