Miliary Dermatitis

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Miliary Dermatitis

By: Dr. Mark Thompson

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Section: Veterinary Care In-depth

Diagnosis In-depth

History and physical examination are important in the diagnosis of the underlying cause of miliary dermatitis. The veterinarian will ask when the problem started, whether the cat is scratching, chewing or grooming excessively, and whether the cat feels well or feels sick. The physical exam will look at all body systems, but will concentrate on the skin. The distribution of lesions on the body may lend important clues to the underlying cause. A flea comb will be used to look for fleas and flea dirt.

Skin scrapings are very important to assess for parasites. A scalpel blade is used to scrape a sample from the surface of the skin. Deep skin scrapings are needed to find mites, so your veterinarian will scrape until there is mild bleeding. The sample is then examined under a microscope for mites or other parasites.

A fungal culture is often done to rule out ringworm.

Hairs are plucked from lesions and are incubated on a special media. The dermatophyte that is most commonly seen in cats will fluoresce sometimes in ultraviolet light, so your veterinarian may examine the cat's hair in a dark room with a special light called a Wood's lamp. A lime-green fluorescence of hair shafts confirms the diagnosis and makes culture unnecessary.

A trichogram is a test where hairs are plucked and examined under a microscope to determine if hairs are falling out, or being broken off. With miliary dermatitis due to an itchy disease, hairs appear broken off due to the self-mutilation. This test may help to determine if a pruritic disease should be pursued.

A food trial should be done if miliary dermatitis continues after the above diseases have been rule out. Food allergy is ruled out by feeding a diet that contains ingredients that the cat has not been previously fed. This diet is fed as the only food source for a period of 6-12 weeks or until the cat stops itching. Individual ingredients from the previous food may then be fed to identify the offending ingredient.

Allergy testing for airborne allergens such as pollens, molds, house dust, and house dust mites may be necessary. The most accurate test in a skin test where different airborne allergens are injected into the skin and the skin is then examine to see if it reacts. A blood test is also available that is more convenient and easier but may not be as accurate.

A skin biopsy may help to narrow down the type of disease causing miliary dermatitis. After general or local anesthesia, one or more sections of skin are taken from the cat using either a special biopsy punch or a scalpel blade. Examination of the biopsy by a veterinary pathologist can categorize the problem as allergic, parasitic, fungal, bacterial, autoimmune or hormonal. More specific tests to confirm the exact diagnosis can then be done.

Blood tests may be needed if the cat is sick to assess the underlying immune problem. Blood chemistry profiles can help rule out diseases of major organs like the liver and kidney. A CBC will assess the health of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, and may show evidence of infection or immunosuppression. Viral diseases such as feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus should be tested for and ruled out.

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1 Endocrine Alopecia in Cats
Endocrine alopecia is a rare skin condition of cats that is hypothesized to be hormonal in origin. Affected cats experience thinning of the hair or hair loss, which has a similar bilateral distribution...
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2 Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Cats
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy in cats and is caused by flea bites, specifically the saliva of the flea. It is a very itchy disease and predisposes to the development of secondary skin...
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3 Alopecia (Hair Loss) in Cats
Alopecia is the complete or partial lack of hair in any area of the skin where hair would normally be found. In cats, it may be caused by self-trauma, hair follicle diseases or the failure of hair to grow...
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4 Pruritus (Itchiness) in Cats
How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.
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5 Sarcoptic Mange in Cats
Sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies) is a highly contagious disease caused by microscopic mites that invade the skin of healthy cats and kittens and create a variety of skin problems.
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6 Atopy in Cats
Atopy is a pruritic (itchy) skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy to substances in the environment. It can be difficult to diagnose in cats and, therefore, is probably under-diagnosed.
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7 Skin Lesion or Sore in Cats
There are many different types of skin lesions that can occur in the skin of cats, and each lesion or combination of lesions can be caused by multiple diseases and conditions.
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8 Skin Discharge or Odor in Cats
Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.
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9 Food Allergy in Cats
Most pets develop allergies to food ingredients that they have been fed for a long time, usually more than two years. In fact, if your cat has an immediate adverse reaction to a new food, it is probably...
Read More

1Pruritus (Itchiness) in Cats
How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.
Read More
2Skin Discharge or Odor in Cats
Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.
Read More
3Food Allergy in Cats
Most pets develop allergies to food ingredients that they have been fed for a long time, usually more than two years. In fact, if your cat has an immediate adverse reaction to a new food, it is probably...
Read More
4Sarcoptic Mange in Cats
Sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies) is a highly contagious disease caused by microscopic mites that invade the skin of healthy cats and kittens and create a variety of skin problems.
Read More
5Skin Lesion or Sore in Cats
There are many different types of skin lesions that can occur in the skin of cats, and each lesion or combination of lesions can be caused by multiple diseases and conditions.
Read More
6Endocrine Alopecia in Cats
Endocrine alopecia is a rare skin condition of cats that is hypothesized to be hormonal in origin. Affected cats experience thinning of the hair or hair loss, which has a similar bilateral distribution...
Read More
7Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Cats
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy in cats and is caused by flea bites, specifically the saliva of the flea. It is a very itchy disease and predisposes to the development of secondary skin...
Read More
8Alopecia (Hair Loss) in Cats
Alopecia is the complete or partial lack of hair in any area of the skin where hair would normally be found. In cats, it may be caused by self-trauma, hair follicle diseases or the failure of hair to grow...
Read More
9Atopy in Cats
Atopy is a pruritic (itchy) skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy to substances in the environment. It can be difficult to diagnose in cats and, therefore, is probably under-diagnosed.
Read More

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1Pruritus (Itchiness) in Cats
How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.
Read More
2Skin Discharge or Odor in Cats
Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.
Read More
3Food Allergy in Cats
Most pets develop allergies to food ingredients that they have been fed for a long time, usually more than two years. In fact, if your cat has an immediate adverse reaction to a new food, it is probably...
Read More
4Sarcoptic Mange in Cats
Sarcoptic mange (also known as scabies) is a highly contagious disease caused by microscopic mites that invade the skin of healthy cats and kittens and create a variety of skin problems.
Read More
5Skin Lesion or Sore in Cats
There are many different types of skin lesions that can occur in the skin of cats, and each lesion or combination of lesions can be caused by multiple diseases and conditions.
Read More
6Endocrine Alopecia in Cats
Endocrine alopecia is a rare skin condition of cats that is hypothesized to be hormonal in origin. Affected cats experience thinning of the hair or hair loss, which has a similar bilateral distribution...
Read More
7Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Cats
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy in cats and is caused by flea bites, specifically the saliva of the flea. It is a very itchy disease and predisposes to the development of secondary skin...
Read More
8Alopecia (Hair Loss) in Cats
Alopecia is the complete or partial lack of hair in any area of the skin where hair would normally be found. In cats, it may be caused by self-trauma, hair follicle diseases or the failure of hair to grow...
Read More
9Atopy in Cats
Atopy is a pruritic (itchy) skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy to substances in the environment. It can be difficult to diagnose in cats and, therefore, is probably under-diagnosed.
Read More

Miliary Dermatitis

Miliary Dermatitis

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