Sphynx Skin Conditions

[Yoda mom]

@OnyxSphynx, yes, ringworm very contagious to humans and other pets. as I child I caught ringworm from my dog. there are several threads about ringworm and pics. never hesitate to ask questions. hugs n head smooches

 

[OnyxSphynx]

@OnyxSphynx, yes, ringworm very contagious to humans and other pets. as I child I caught ringworm from my dog. there are several threads about ringworm and pics. never hesitate to ask questions. hugs n head smooches

Thank you!

 

[OneEyedIgor]

Hello, Igor’s dad here. He’s doing well. He eats like a beast now and has plumped up a bit but he’s got these little flaky spots all over him. Is it likely a food allergy? I have him on Wellness Indoor chicken dry food and then twice a day I feed him a small can of Wellness rotating between Tuna, Salmon, and Chicken. They don’t seem to bother him at all but they bother me.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

I would get a vet check. This could be ringworm. It looks different on hairless animals and does not always look like a ring. If it is, it is contagious to humans so best to get it looked at. We rescued a girl years ago and it looked like this. @OneEyedIgor


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Catzzzmeow]

@OneEyedIgor here is another member who just had their baby diagnosed with ringworm. Is this an issue?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[OneEyedIgor]

I would get a vet check. This could be ringworm. It looks different on hairless animals and does not always look like a ring. If it is, it is contagious to humans so best to get it looked at. We rescued a girl years ago and it looked like this. @OneEyedIgor


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I did have him looked at for it and they suggested it’s likely a food allergy or skin allergy but didn’t give me much beyond that.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Just looks similar how it has scabbed up. Did they use a black light when they checked? Unfortunately many times ringworm does not show up under a black light. Not trying to spook you.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Rihmeek604]

Hi again, just to update my sphynx "pickles" skin, we had him and his brother on Royal canin adult sphynx food but concerned they needed kitten food so put them on canin kitten (both are dry foods), pickle became very lumpy and spotty so we took him to the vets and they gave us antihistamines until we found out what problem was, we put him back on adult sphynx dry food and he improved but still lumpy, then I did a bit of research about fresh food that was 95% meat and started a trial of that last week from a delivery company in the UK for fresh cat meals, his skin now has no lumps and they used to both poop twice a day and now less mess which is a bonus. Blue who is a blue sphynx was only slightly spotty has better skin too hope this helps as I was amazed at the almost instant improvement x

Hello! Can you share what exactly you feed him on the fresh food diet? I’ve been dealing with this for over a year

 

[Lucinda]

#1 Food allergies: Another very common issue many sphynx owners run into is food allergies. Many studies have shown that certain ingredients contained in cat food are more likely to cause food allergies than others. The most common offenders are beef, lamb, seafood, corn, soy, wheat gluten and dairy products. if you take notice, the most common offenders are the most common ingredients in many cat foods on the market.

Primary symptoms of food allergies is itchy or irritated skin that will range anywhere from small pimple like bumps or ashes to larger open wound type soars that ooze. In the sphynx breed, these symptoms are much easier to identify due to the breed having no hair and their skin exposed.

An easy way to see if your sphynx cat has a food allergy is a simple food trial that would consist of feeding a food source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks. the food source would be a quality food that the he has never eaten before. Examples would include duck and potato, or venison and potato and another popular one would be green pea and duck. All of these foods can be found at any pet store.

Homemade diets (raw diet) are often used, as the ingredients can be carefully restricted. Regardless of the diet used, it must be the only thing the animal eats for 12 weeks. This means no treats, no flavored medications; absolutely nothing but the special food and water. Also take care as to not leave out human food or even access to the garbage in the home which could allow him an outside source of food and delay the process of finding if it's a food allergy.

Contact Dermatitis: Symptoms include red, itchy bumps and inflamed skin where your Sphynx cat had made contact with a chemical or another type of irritant. It can also be caused by rubber or plastic food bowels or dishes. The best way to prevent contact dermatitis is to keep Sphynx away from areas where chemicals are being used and to feed your Sphynx with glass, stainless steel, or lead-free ceramic bowels or dishes.

Feline Acne: Very common in the Sphynx breed where they form comedones (also known as blackheads) on the underside of the chin and edges of the lips. These symptoms may be associated with plastic or rubber food dishes or bowels. It is common in the Sphynx breed because of their oily skin as well. Some Sphynx owners have used Stridex pads to treat their Sphynx or small quantities of benzoyl peroxide. Please see your vet and get their advice on this before hand.

Stud Tail: This is caused by glands near the tail that excrete excessive oils. The result is a greasy, rancid-smelling waxy brown material at the top of the tail near the base. This condition is most often often found in Un-neutered males, but fixed males and females can get it as well. Treatment involves neutering your Sphynx cat, and a daily wash with an antiseborrheic shampoo. Please see your vet and get their advice on treatment.

Sunburn: The Sphynx cats are very prone to sunburn and should be kept out of direct sunlight during peek sunlight hours if possible, usually between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to reduce the risk of sunburn and minimize the long-term risk of developing skin cancers. The symptoms of too much sun usually consists of blotchy brown spots, redness or patches of red in the torso area or red bumps (heat rash) on the body. You could also put a shirt on them during these hours as well for protection.

Just bear in mind that when it comes to any form of skin condition on your Sphynx cat ask yourself; What has changed recently in my household that could of caused my Sphynx to get a rash or irritated skin?

1. Diet (Food or snacks) 90% of rashes and irritated skin is from food. Chicken or not using a grain free food is usually the culprit.

2. Laundry soap (Perhaps you washed their favorite blanket or bed)

3. Pet Shampoo and in some instances Coconut oil (use virgin coconut oil only)

4. Over bathing - yes over bathing can cause skin irritation and rashes - try extending your bath times, some owners only wash monthly.

5. New Medication

6. Water bowl or dish (try to use ceramic, stainless steel or glass bowls, stay away from plastic bowls (plastic causes pimples or black heads)

7. Cleaning chemicals (Just cleaned the tub or sink, even the toilet seat or lid with a cleaner where your Sphynx frequently goes to drink from the drippy tub faucet or just hang out?)

8. Changing kitty litters

9. Sun bathing/ window bathing can cause a red spotty rash and irritation

Always see a your vet when in question!

Please include sample pictures!--this is a fantastic summary!

 

[Baybae]

Thank you that really helps ! Did the depigmentation on your boy itch? And did it look anything like this? My boy started developing these and in a week it got so bad all over his body.. vets cant explain this and dermatologists say its just pigmentation so i shouldnt worry but it spreads so fast i am worried.. View attachment 99216View attachment 99217

 

[KaitoTheBald]

Thank you that really helps ! Did the depigmentation on your boy itch? And did it look anything like this? My boy started developing these and in a week it got so bad all over his body.. vets cant explain this and dermatologists say its just pigmentation so i shouldnt worry but it spreads so fast i am worried.. View attachment 99216View attachment 99217

My kitten has a similar issue, do you know what I can do to clear her skin up??

 

[beckicu]

That looks exactly like what my two cats have!
I took them to the vet, and she said not ringworm, not mange, and suggested some sort of allergy. We thought, possibly from a spider bite, but they have not improved and have only gotten worse and worse.

 

[beckicu]

Here are photos

 

[Yoda mom]

@beckicu ,awh.. tagging @Catzzzmeow for her suggestions. hugs n head smooches


have you changed laundry detergents? use fabric softener? does your baby wear clothing?
change of litter? some can be sensitive to wheat , corn based or scented litters.
change of food?

 

[Catzzzmeow]

I would ask your vet to do a skin scrape to get to the root of the issue.

 

[beckicu]

@beckicu ,awh.. tagging @Catzzzmeow for her suggestions. hugs n head smooches


have you changed laundry detergents? use fabric softener? does your baby wear clothing?
change of litter? some can be sensitive to wheat , corn based or scented litters.
change of food?

I’m Sorry it’s taken too long to respond to your suggestions…
In response :
no laundry detergent or softener -only hot water on the cats bedding which I wash (all) at least once a week.
Even for my own laundry, I use non-scented detergent & no softener
We clean our house with diluted simple, green or water.
None of us wear perfume or aftershave.
And the cats diet is a blend of
royal Canaan HP & science diet ZD.
No treats except Lysine “treats”
I use Dr. Elsey litter, which is non-scented and low dust.
No air fresheners or scented sprays in the house. No plants in the house.
It could be some sort of allergy response, but I can’t imagine to what….
The vet did a scraping (twice as I’ve had them in 3 times!)
but couldn’t find anything conclusive. She also checked them under black light.
She gave me a topical antifungal, which has really done nothing.
It started as just a few spots that I initially thought were spider bites, but then rapidly spread all over their body, looking like these scabby bumps.
At this point, this has been ongoing for about two months
*The first spider, bite, looking bumps changed into these scabby looking patches. After that, it seems like the scabby patches have been just appearing and spreading.
(without first looking like a spider bite)
Now after about two months it appears that the male is getting a bit better. He’s left with a lot of discolored spots, but not as many scabby patches- the female has been affected much worse -poor girl it looks like she has alligator skin. I’m hopeful. This will eventually go away, but I would really like to have some answers as to what it is or what caused it.

 

[Yoda mom]

@Catzzzmeow

 

[Sheldon13]

It still just really looks like ringworm to me. Sometimes it can require more aggressive antifungals and it is really tough to make sure you treat the whole house for spores.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Yoda mom]

@beckicu , checking in for updates.

 

[MikeandPablo]

My kitten has a similar issue, do you know what I can do to clear her skin up??


View attachment 112497

Looks just like my Pablo’s problem after his vaccine. Been 3 weeks now. New spots still coming every day but don’t bother him

 

[Emma05]

Hi any idea what can be causing this? No foods have been changed his only 14weeks in led and still on same diet from the breeder.
He did get the cat flu that his now recovered from then his broken out in these hive like rash the vet has giving him some antihistamine and antibiotics to try but we can’t think of anything new in the house

 

[MikeandPablo]

Hi any idea what can be causing this? No foods have been changed his only 14weeks in led and still on same diet from the breeder.
He did get the cat flu that his now recovered from then his broken out in these hive like rash the vet has giving him some antihistamine and antibiotics to try but we can’t think of anything new in the house

My cats diet was also the same. He broke out (as you see above) after his rabies vaccine. When I eventually switched to the ZD food Allergie diet, everything went away. I took him off wet food and only that special ZD diet food. I introduced the chicken/fish dry again and they came back instantly. I then returned to the ZD to get his system neutral again (though supposedly it can stay in their blood for 8 weeks, I didnt have that patience) so a few weeks later tried only fish, and he didnt react. so I think for mine, it was the chicken hes Allergic to, though its what he was eating since birth... he seemed to develop it. The vet said finding out if it's fungus or dust or whatever is very expensive, and they always try the food option first. Since mine is ok w the ZD diet, and he doesnt react to Beef.. that his main food, and I found I can still feed him some of the chicken/tuna every 5th meal (since I had 8kg of it) and he doesnt react. So it was a problem only when it was his main food all the time. Mine also has his break out around 14 weeks and was confusing bc it was the same litter and food, so I swore it was from the rabies shot since it was a direct relation to it, but in the end seemed to be the food. So I woudl start there, and if hes on antihistimines and antibiotics, thats gonna interfere w figuring out if it's the food, so let the vet know you want to try that, I would say. Hope theres immediate improvement w the ZD!

 

[Yoda mom]

@Emma05 , welcoming you and your baby to the lair family. we are here for you.
can you start your own post and pics for attention so it does not get lost in another members post. members will surely chime in.
have you reached out to the breeder?

Sphynx Cat Health & Nutrition

Discuss health issues, proper nutrition & diet.

sphynxlair.com

hugs n healing vibes

 

[Emma05]

Will do thanks

 

[jaxx]

Will do thanks

Hey Emma, hows your baby doing? Lilith had something similar, i got lucky and found out what it was.... she rubbed her face on a plant, and about 15 min later her face started swelling near her eye and places she scratched after.... i ended up giving her allergy meds and after about 2 hrs it finally went away. Needless to say, that potted plant is now outside.