Skin and fur growth

[Gunther7]

Hi everyone. I have adopted a 21 yo cat with ckd and had her shaved due to a fully matted coat. That was months ago and she is only growing fur in certain spots and that growth is slow. Is there something I can put on her skin to help her out?

Thanks for any help. Mittens appreciates it!

 

[fionasmom]

BUSTER Body Suit EasyGo for cats, grey/black

Welcome to The Cat Site and thank you for rescuing this very elderly cat. Is there a backstory to her rescue? I would suggest a surgery recovery suit which does not imply that a cat needed to have had surgery. There are a lot of them available. Small baby clothes like a onesie might work but you might have to alter it so that she could use the litterbox.

Is her skin irritated or are you thinking about something that would regrow fur? I am not sure that any topical can regrow the missing fur. Is her skin itchy?

https://www.petcarerx.com/article/5-treatments-for-cat-dry-skin/1467

This article gives an overview of skin conditions and most do not apply to your cat but there may be some suggestions. Given her age, I would ask the vet for a suggestion.

I hope that the fur grows back. I once had to partly shave (and I completely understand why you did this) an elderly dog and the fur did not regrow in the same way or as densely.

 

[Gunther7]

Thanks so much for your help. Mittens was a relative's cat who was well taken care of for years but this person's life became more complicated and as their responsibilities grew the cat's care requirements grew but the cat became less of a priority. Basic care requirements were met like food, water and shelter (inside cat) but not enough attention was paid to notice the increased arthritis and decreased self grooming and things got out of hand.

I took her in to my home and to the vet, etc. I tried multiple methods to get the mattes out. I tried clippers, multiple types of brushes and tools and nothing was working for various reasons. She had to be sedated, shaved and washed.

I don't really see any signs of any problems per say. There is no itching or flaking I can see and I'm not concerned about her appearance. We just have really dry air now and I would imagine she would like to get her fur back.

Thanks again for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[fionasmom]

You really did save this cat's life and hopefully she will live on with you in her new home for some time to come. Mats are a mess once they are out of hand and the skin underneath runs the risk of infection. She must feel so much better and happier. I would really look for one of those cat surgery suits first of all and go from there.