Generally speaking, the average cats experience a variety of health issues in their entire life. But if it comes to the skin conditions that may develop on the pets then skin tag would be one of the most common ones. The loose bumps form all of the sudden across the body of our feline pals. Considering the unsightly appearance of skin tag, most pet owners naturally think of a way to get rid of the bumps once they spot them. However, skin tag on cat is something that you definitely don't want to trifle with unless you have a firm grasp on the situation.
So you like to know more about the bumps such as causes, treatments and preventions? If that is the case, this article is for you.
In-Depth Breakdowns Of Characteristics
Though skin tag on cat occurs frequently, people still fail to know exactly what causes the bumps to show up on the pets without warnings. So far, the vets only offer a couple of suspects.
- Genetics inheritance
- Lots and lots of friction and sweat
- Hormones during growth periods
- A type of diabetes
... And many more
For most of the time, skin tag tends to emerge near locations that see regular movements such as the legs. Nonetheless, it's proven that the bumps could appear practically everywhere on the cats from the head to the tail. The typical composition of skin tag on cats includes collagen fibers, blood vessels, and skins. Besides that, the colors the bumps themselves vary slightly from cat to cat depending on the tone of the coat. Normally, because of the content, skin tag should look kind of fleshy in ordinary cases.
After seeing anomalous bumps on your fluffy friend, it's highly likely that the first that comes to your mind shall be "Is it dangerous?". Fortunately, skin tag is rarely a symptom of serious illnesses so you don't have to worry too much here. At worst, the bumps might be the early signs of insulin resistance that would lead to diabetes if left untreated. But if skin tag develops on certain locations, the felines may have a pretty hard time seeing, eating, drinking, moving,... Once that happens, it's necessary to remove the bumps.
People that own more than one cat have to keep an eye out for contagious diseases to protect the pack. Thankfully, skin tag is untransmittable which is why it's completely safe for people to allow the pets to interact with each other like usual. However, it's strongly recommended that you still observe the felines closely as a precaution. That last thing you want to see is one of your cats yanking out the bump on its skin tag-affected friend during play sessions. Needless to say, the mess caused by that is going to be hard to clean.
Check us out for further detailed cat's health guide!
Removing The Skin Tag: Options
Unless the humps actually interfere with the body functions of pets, it's unnecessary to remove skin tag on cat. Nonetheless, if you insist on getting rid of the humps then the vets should offer you a couple of methods.
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Surgery
Plain, simple and effective, surgery is the ideal way to remove skin tag with no side effects in most cases. Usually, the vets would administer local anesthetics then cut off the bumps using sterilized scissors. The procedure shall end in a blink of an eye. All you have to do is to make sure that you keep the operated area clean after that in order to prevent infection from happening.
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Cryosurgery
As you may infer from the name, cryosurgery involves the use of liquid nitrogen to do away with the skin tag. The vets pour liquid nitrogen on the bumps which promptly the blood supply to them. In a few moments, the skin tag falls off from the pets without much difficulty.
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Cautery
The exact opposite of cryosurgery, cautery relies upon heat to eliminate the humps but it's painful to the felines. Because of that, the majority of vets these kinds of days refrain from using cautery for most of the time.
Note: In case you are unable to handle the surgery expense, it's possible for you to take care of skin tag by yourselves. Clean the area near the humps, apply antiseptic creams in there then use sterilized strings of dental floss to firmly tie around the skin tag. In the case things proceed smoothly, the humps would change color after roughly more than a week and fall off.
A Couple Of Ways To Stop Skin Tag From Forming
Technically, it's impossible to 100% avoid skin tag but by employing certain precautions then you could at least minimize the chance of the bump emerging.
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Take time to wash the pets every now and then
Cats adore grooming so they have a reputation for being able to clean themselves nicely. That being said, it's a good idea to give the felines a hand, especially if they approach old ages. You should be able to get purpose design cat shampoos from pet stores nowadays that reduce accumulations of sweat, dirt and other things that may cause skin tag to develop.
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Pay attention to the collar
A lot of pet owners nowadays put collars on their furball because of various reasons. In the case the collars prove to be too tight, friction shall inevitably increase which is an excellent chance for the bumps to show up right around the neck area. That is why it's strongly recommended by the vets that you keep the overall tightness of the collars on your pets at suitable levels.
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Think up a healthy diet
Unbalanced meals lead to multiple issues on cats including skin tag so it's essential that people devise sound eating regimens for their feline pals. As cats age, you have to adjust the meals in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the pets. Of course, if necessary, feel free to drop by the vets to ask for several hints regarding diets for pets.
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