Chronic dandruff

[scarlettleia]

Hello! I was hoping someone might have some advice for dealing with chronic dandruff. Percival suffers with it all along his back but mostly nearly the base of his tail and hates being brushed, so I'm struggling to find a way to deal with it that doesn't distress him.
He has the softest fur I've ever felt on a cat, but it's incredibly dense and I think he struggles to get through it to groom properly.
Aside from the hatred of the brush which I think is unrelated (he generally doesn't like being pestered in any capacity), he doesn't seem to notice it, no itching or scratching etc.
He also has cutaneous horns on his paws which I'm sure could be related (the vets have checked, they're no issue, he's pretty much dealing with them himself and they're not a hinderence to him).
He molts a lot, and as he has so much densely packed fur it's everywhere, but again, he hates the brush.
I've tried skin and fur food, coconut oil, silicone glove brushes (it was a nope from him) but nothing seemed to make a difference.
Any advice?
View attachment 446528View attachment 446529

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
The only things I can think of is to add some egg yolk (powder or lecithin) to his food now and then, also possibly some fish oil or a dab of butter on your finger - these can help with hairballs but also help skin and coat, and additionally, maybe try a different type of brush. Here's a photo of a different type of brush;

Tips on getting my cat more tolerant to brushing?

 

[lollie]

Another vote for the oil. I give Omega 3 by mouth and it helps tremendously, especially in winter.

 

[iPappy]

If you're using a slicker brush, try a pin brush. Some brush hating cats tolerate those just fine.
I'm on team fish oil too! It's good for practically everything.

 

[scarlettleia]

Thank you all! I'll give the fish oil a go, we actually have a fridge full that we got on discount anyway so happy days!
As for brushes, we've tried several different types and he just doesn't have it. I give him a forced brush every other week just to keep on top of it but it stresses him out so much that it almost feels cruel. I've tried giving him treats during it and that helps but I can't be doing that on the regular or he'll be the size of a bus in no time

 

[iPappy]

Thank you all! I'll give the fish oil a go, we actually have a fridge full that we got on discount anyway so happy days!
As for brushes, we've tried several different types and he just doesn't have it. I give him a forced brush every other week just to keep on top of it but it stresses him out so much that it almost feels cruel. I've tried giving him treats during it and that helps but I can't be doing that on the regular or he'll be the size of a bus in no time

I hope he likes the fish oil! Could you try brushing a section daily or every other day, vs. brushing the whole cat every other week? He might learn to tolerate this better.

 

[Furballsmom]

Could you try brushing a section daily or every other day, vs. brushing the whole cat every other week?

Sometimes I could only get one side of my angel Poppycat, since he wasn't a fan, and also wasn't all that keen on being turned over lol

 

[Alldara]

How old is he?
Does he have any arthritis?

 

[scarlettleia]

How old is he?
Does he have any arthritis?

This is a VERY belated response as I just stumbled across this again from months ago.
He's 4, with no arthritis.
The dandruff seemed to settle down a bit over the summer, now that it's getting chillier again, it seems to be coming back.
He still hates the brush, and won't eat his food if I put fish oil on it
Why must they be so fussy!

 

[Furballsmom]

This might be a bit of a shot in the dark, but have you tried a pre and pro biotic to help his digestion, and thereby his whole system including his skin?

 

[scarlettleia]

This might be a bit of a shot in the dark, but have you tried a pre and pro biotic to help his digestion, and thereby his whole system including his skin?

I haven't! I'll look into that and give it a try! Thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

let us know how it goes

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I'm guessing you tried the Kong Zoom Groom already? Though if he dislikes being groomed in general, I doubt it would be an exception. My Daisy has a similar problem, and similar fur by the sound of it. Dandruff doesn't seem to bother her at all, but I would like to control it. Fortunately she likes her slicker brush.

 

[Alldara]

This is a VERY belated response as I just stumbled across this again from months ago.
He's 4, with no arthritis.
The dandruff seemed to settle down a bit over the summer, now that it's getting chillier again, it seems to be coming back.
He still hates the brush, and won't eat his food if I put fish oil on it
Why must they be so fussy!

Sounds the same as Cal that it's just from the heating! You could try a bit of coconut oil! Or just some food every couple days with a higher fat content like Wureva.