Pattern of skin problem in cat at Teaching and Training Pet Hospital and Research Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Pet animals especially cat populations are being popular day by day throughout the country. But several diseases affect serious health problem of thesecat and make worried their owners. Skin diseases/disorders are one of the most important problems among them. This retrospective study was aimed to know the occurrence of different skin diseases/disorders in cat and their distribution among different factors at Teaching and Training Pet Hospital and Research Center (TTPHRC), Purbachal of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU). The data regarding skin issues were collected from the previously recorded case sheet for the period of January, 2023 to December, 2023. All data stored in excel worksheet and analyzed by stata 14.2 versions. About 399 cats were visited at the hospital for different skin issues during the study period. These data represented about 6.70% different skin diseases/disorders in cat. Among them bacterial dermatitis (25.56%) was the highest where as mixed infection (0.75%) and worm infestation (0.75%) were the lowest. Other skin diseases/disorders included allergy/atopic dermatitis (8.27%), fungal dermatitis (18.8%), fleas (10.53%) and mites (12.78%) infestation, feline acne (1.50%), feline psychogenic alopecia (5.26%) and nutritional deficiency disorders (15.79%). Among different factors, this study revealed the young cats (0-1 year) were significantly more susceptible (47.37%) (p<0.05). Rearing system was also considered as an important factor as cats which were reared semi-intensively, were more prone to the skin disorders. Irregularity of deworming and more importantly less concern of the pet owner’s on regular skin care played a vital role in the acceleration of skin problems in the cats. In conclusion, a good percentage of skin problems in cats are existing in the hospital cases. In addition, during young age regular skin care and deworming should be maintained to reduce skin problems in cats.