Skin irritation

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jessica,

I foster special needs cats and one of them has a spinal deformity which doesn't allow her to have control over her bowels or bladder.  She lives in a spacious two level cage with plastic shelves that I line with puppy piddle pads to help wick away moisture from her skin and I bathe her once a day.  After her bath she is allowed to run free for about 20 minutes of exercise (she doesn't seem to urinate or defecate within a half hour of her bath) and usually puts herself back into her cage.  I've noticed her skin seems to be irritated despite my precautions and wondered if you could recommend a shampoo/conditioner or what ingredients I should be looking for (aloe, lanolin, etc.)to help alleviate the irritation caused by urine sitting on her skin.  I appreciate any input you have.

Pati

ANSWER: Hi Pati.  You can try using a cat shampoo that contains lanolin.  There is one by Bio Groom called Silky Cat.  But it comes with a pretty hefty price tag, and since you'll be rinsing it off, I'm not sure that the lanolin would do so much good.  

What would probably be more ideal is to wash the kitty with Johnson's Baby Wash, and then apply 100% pure lanolin directly to her skin.  I use Johnson's on my cats because it doesn't dry them out, even with frequent bathing, and I would recommend Baby Wash as opposed to Baby Shampoo because I'm assuming that she's shaven in some areas?  Baby Wash (the regular formula) is to be used on both skin and hair.  

Once she's dry, you can apply some lanolin to the irritated areas to soothe and protect them (assuming she's shaven).  But don't use Desitin or other diaper rash treatments - these usually contain zinc oxide, which could be toxic if enough were to be licked off.  Only pure lanolin should be used.  This can be ordered from numerous places online or found in many health or beauty stores.  

You could also use a thin layer of plain petroleum jelly to provide protection.  This could act as a little bit of a laxative if she licks too much of it off, so just be on the look out for loose stools.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for such a quick response Jessica.  She actually is not shaved, would the pure lanoline still work?  Her condition also causes her to have very loose stools and I have to mix powdered gelatin and baby oatmeal cereal into her food to prevent them so I probably don't want to use the petroleum jelly.  I will definitely look for a shampoo with lanolin in it and start bathing her with that.  Thanks again.

Answer
I don't think lanolin would do much good for her skin if you apply it to areas with fur (though it would make her fur shiney).  But depending on where the irritation is, I may strongly consider shaving the affected areas.  Most urine and fecal burns on cats are worsened because the fur holds urine and feces against the skin.  But if the fur is shaven off, there is nothing to hold waste against the skin.  It also allows fresh air to reach and soothe the skin, which is without a doubt one of the best treatments for this type of irritation.  If the irritation is around the genital area, tail and hind legs, it's there because when the waste exits, it's being held there and kept moist by her fur.  It's very much like diaper rash, only the diaper never really comes off.  So in this case, it would be in her best interest to shave under her tail, the backs of her legs and around her genitals (a vet may need to do this if you don't have electric clippers).  She may look a little funny, but I think she'd feel much better.  And then you could use lanolin or even neosporin on her bare skin.  

If the irritation is on her sides, then I would suspect it's occurring because she's lying on piddle pads that have been soaked.  In this case, her fur may actually be providing her a barrier of protection, so I would leave it alone.  I noticed they have super abosrbant ones for training adult dogs the other day, I don't know if these would be any better than what you have.

Some things to think about, anyway.  Hope she's feeling better soon!