My cat's fur is matted and dusty after dog contact. What's wrong?

The white specks to are seeing may just be dander. Many times when the coat gets matted a great deal of dander will build up underneath the mat. If her fur feels sticky this could just be moisture but could also indicate a moist dermatitis or skin infection. I'd suggest giving Piper a bath using an oatmeal shampoo. If the flaking and moist skin does not resolve after a bath it's a good idea to take her to your veterinarian. Your vet can help clip the remaining fur around the area and decide if antibiotics are needed. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Harley! Sometimes there can be a dermatitis or an infection under the mat of hair. You can clean the raw spot well with warm water and a mild soap, dry it well and then apply a topical triple antibiotic twice daily as long as she can't lick it off. It is never wrong to have Harley looked at by a Vet. She may need antibiotics, with out seeing her or a picture I couldn't say. But if you want to try the above first since she feels fine then I think that is ok. I hope this helps and I wish you and Harley the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know what is going on just based on pictures of what you remove. Mylo may be scratching due to allergies, an infection, mange, ringworm, among other possibilities. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

It looks like Dakota either has irritation or a skin infection from the matts. I would make sure he is licking or scratching at he areas and if he does I would recommend finding a veterinarian to take him too. If it isn't bothering at them I would say I it is ok to wait until next week to find a veterinarian. There isn't anything over the counter to give. Your veterinarian may give oral antibiotics and may give a steroid injection if itching a lot. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It could be mange or it could be a severe infection of bacterial or fungal nature. The only way to find out would be to have your veterinarian physically examine your dog and perform a skin scrape or culture of the skin. These tests may diagnose the underlying cause which can then be treated.

These dark specs are essentially embedded dirt. This stuff is difficult to remove, but will eventually return to normal with regular bathing and a few weeks of time. This is generally not concerning, and there's no signs of infection or irritation, but this can indicate a flea infestation, so it's good to check her carefully for any signs of fleas. Below is a helpful article about fleas. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ For now, I recommend bathing her with a cat shampoo once every week for the next four weeks. The skin should look normal again after a month. I hope that helps and all is well with Theadora.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!