THE DISEASES OF CATS, AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



375 



and form large patches. There may be itchi- 

 ness and scratching ; and in this latter case 

 the crusts may be covered with blood and 

 resemble eczema. 



Treatment. As this disease is conveyable to 

 other cats, to the horse, ox. dog, and children, 

 the affected animal should be isolated and 

 the patches dressed with tincture of per- 

 chloride of iron once every third day. (Whole 

 families, and even a whole school, have been 

 known to become affected with ringworm 

 from a cat.) 



Yellow Ringworm, or Tinea favosa, or favus, 

 also termed " honeycomb ringworm," is a 

 commoner disease in the cat than grey ring- 

 worm. It is due to a vegetable parasite named 

 Achorion Qmnckeanum, which causes at first 

 yellow-coloured crusts that are arranged as 

 cup-shaped masses, which disturb the hairs so 

 that they are shed. These cup-shaped masses 

 resemble a honeycomb in appearance, hence its 

 name. The sulphur-yellow colour after a time 

 changes to a dirty yellow or grey. The patches 

 may be circular or zigzag, and raised above the 

 skin, but the centre is depressed so as to give 

 them a cup-shaped appearance. They vary in 

 size from a pin's head to a shilling, or larger. 

 They may run into one another, so that the 

 circular form is no longer present. The hairs 

 are stiff and lustreless, and can be easily pulled 

 out. They seem to grow in the centre of the 

 " cups." After a time the parasite loosens the 

 hair in the follicle, so that it is shed. 



It prefers to affect the root of the claws, or 

 the belly, sides of the chest, elbows, head, base 

 of ears, nose, and then spreads all over the 

 body. When it attacks the head, it ensheaths 

 the face and scalp as if clay had been moulded 

 to the parts, so that the eyes become hidden 

 from view. 



The cat hides itself, or strays away ; it 

 moans or mews, crouches on all fours, and 

 seems utterly miserable. The skin gives off 

 an abominable odour, which resembles mouldy 

 decaying wood in a damp, dark building, or 

 a mousy smell. When the disease is in an 

 advanced stage, the animal dies from exhaus- 

 tion or some concurrent disease. 



It affects old cats as well as young ones, and 

 it is said they contract it from mice and rats, 

 which become affected behind the ears. A 

 week or a fortnight elapses before any symptom 

 appears after infection. Young animals are 

 easily infected, but older ones may resist it. 

 It is transmissible to children and adults, from 



cat to cat, from man to cat, and from rats and 

 mice to man and cat. It may be associated 

 with mange and parasitic ear canker. 



Treatment. The cat affected with yellow 

 ringworm should be kept away from children 

 and other cats : the affected patches may 

 be painted with the following : 



Salicylic acid 



Ether 



Spirit of wine 



Glycerine 



Camphor- water 



1 drachm. 



2 drachms. 

 ounce. 



4 drachms, 

 to 3 ounces. 



The term "Eczema is given to all those skin 

 eruptions that are characterised by pimples 

 and vesicles followed by scabs and scales, and 

 accompanied with great itchiness. 



It is said to be non-contagious, and as far 

 as the cat is concerned this seems to me to be 

 true. On the other hand, in the dog some of 

 the varieties of eczema appear to be spread 

 by contact. It very often runs a chronic 

 course, and frequently recurs. 



It generally affects the back, loins, root of 

 tail, and back of the thighs, although any part 

 of the body may be attacked. There is great 

 itchiness, the animal bites or licks itself, the 

 skin becomes red, pimples the size of a head 

 of a millet seed, or even a small pea, appear ; 

 these, after a time, burst, and a fluid issues 

 from them and dries, forming scabs. Some- 

 times the itchiness is so intense as to cause the 

 animal to bite or lick itself until the skin 

 becomes raw and bleeding. In rare instances 

 it produces a kind of mania for licking, which 

 is followed by epileptiform seizures. The hair 

 falls off, leaving bare patches, or it becomes 

 matted together by the gluey discharge and 

 ultimately sheds itself. 



In suckling cats, after sudden deprivation of 

 their offspring, an eczematous eruption may 

 appear on the belly, back, and loins, but it is 

 not, as a rule, severe. 



The she-cat, especially of the light-coloured 

 variety, when not allowed to breed, is often 

 troubled with a scattered vesicular eruption, 

 which is too difficult to eradicate, and is very 

 liable to recur. 



In the castrated male cat it is very common 

 to find a papular and vesicular eruption, which 

 breaks out every spring and autumn. 



The causes of eczema in the cat are an un- 

 natural, sedentary life and an abundance of 

 rich food without any compensatory or suffi- 

 cient exercise in the fresh air. Hot weather, 

 especially when accompanied by wet, pre- 



