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Article: Your cat's skin: an easy target for many diseases most skin disorders are readily treatable, but some can make your cat feel miserable.(DISEASE)
- Article from:
- Cat Watch
- Article date:
- February 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Though not so clearly demarcated as, say, a kidney, liver, spleen or heart, a cat's skin qualifies biologically as an organ. That is, the thin layer of tissue that encases the entirety of an animal's body is a differentiated component of its physiologic makeup that performs specific life-sustaining functions.
Indeed, the skin is the largest organ of the feline body, its usefulness extending well beyond the obvious role it plays as the matrix for your cat's lustrous haircoat. In a healthy animal, it functions as a barrier against invasion by harmful microorganisms. It works as a watertight seal, retaining an animal's body fluids and preventing dehydration. Along ...