Feline atopic syndrome (FAS) is the newly‐proposed terminology encompassing allergic diseases of the skin, gastrointestinal and respiratory tract (asthma) in the cat. Feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS) describes allergic skin disease associated with environmental allergies. Allergic dermatitis in the cat presents with multiple cutaneous reaction patterns that all may be caused by environmental, food and/or insect allergens, as well as other diseases.
Those reaction patterns include, one or more of the following:
- Papulocrustous (or miliary) dermatitis
- Self‐induced alopecia/hypotrichosis or ‘fur-mowing’
- Eosinophilic granuloma complex (eosinophilic granuloma, eosinophilic plaque, indolent ulcer)
- Excoriations‐ulcers on the head and neck
Treatment of these reaction patterns will depend on their aetiology, & other causes such as food allergy or flea bite hypersensitivity must be ruled out before diagnosing FASS.
The worldwide veterinary dermatology community has collaborated to produce these two seminal documents:
Clinical signs and Diagnosis of Feline Atopic Syndrome: Detailed Guidelines for a Correct Diagnosis.
Veterinary Dermatology Journal, February 2021, Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages: 26-e6; Santoro D., , Pucheu-Haston C.M., Prost C., Mueller R.S. & Jackson H.A.
Treatment of Feline Atopic Syndrome.
Veterinary Dermatology Journal, February 2021, Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages: 43-e8; Mueller R.S. Nuttall T., Prost C., Schulz B & Bizikova P.
for The International Committee for Allergic Diseases in Animals (ICADA). These comprehensive articles are available for free download through the two links.