Aloe vera for cat skin

Every day more people benefit from all kinds of natural products and therapies to improve our health.  

If traditional medicine has been key to improving the quality and life expectancy of our pets, can natural medicine also help our animals? 

In the case of Aloe vera the answer is yes, and a lot.

When the seasonal changes approach from cold to heat, or vice versa, the cases of cats with skin problems increase.

Some skin problems come from serious internal causes and should be treated by a veterinarian but sometimes especially when the warm weather comes, some problems are due to issues as simple as contact with a new plant, or the fact that there are more insects, or there is more activity (wounds), or hypersensitivity that manifests itself more clearly in the changes of time, without becoming a problem when it has already stabilized the ambient temperature.

In which cases can we apply Aloe vera on the cat's skin?

Aloe vera is widely used to treat various disorders of our animals, for example, its use in dermatitis is widespread, likewise, is a natural treatment, respectful and very effective against numerous dermatological conditions. 

We can use it in the following cases:

• It is exfoliating: it helps to eliminate dead cells and dead tissue from eczematous lesions, with desquamation, or with scabs.
• Anti-pruritic: decreases scratching/laming to a certain degree. Helps allergic dermatitis.
• Antimicrobial: helps in the treatment of mycosis, viral skin diseases, and bacterial diseases. Can be combined with other veterinary treatments.
• Increases cell division and healing: increasing the speed of healing up to three times. 
• Reduces pain: applying Aloe vera to the affected area.  
• It is a great first aid solution, as it has no detectable side effects. Aloe vera can be applied to wounds/injuries once we have cleaned it, and from there we can go to the vet a little quieter. 

Sources 

- Aloe vera: Magic or medicine? Atherton, Peter.Nursing Standard (through 2013); London Vol. 12, Iss. 41,  (Jul 1-Jul 7, 1998): 49-52, 54.

- Influence of Polysaccharides from Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller, Liliaceae) on Mechanically Induced Cough in Cats

Martina Šutovská. Department of Pharmacology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovakia. February 4, 2009.

 - Functional foods in pet nutrition: Focus on dogs and cats

Research in Veterinary Science

Volume 112, Pages 161-166. 

Alessandro Di Cerboa, Julio Cesar Morales Medina, Beniamino Palmieric, Federica Pezzuto, Raffaella Cocco, Gonzalo Flores, Tommaso Iannitti. June 2017.