DANDRUFF?!?

Wheekie

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My black and white kitty has what looks like dandruff on her black fur. They're not mites (I've checked!). She doesn't seem to be itchy, and it doesn't look like she has dry skin, but I'm guessing she does. What can I do?
 

verna davies

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Can you post a photo, often cats get dandruff on their backs where they cant reach to groom especially if they are a little overweight. If it is dandruff, rub some coconut oil on your fingers and massage into the area. It leaves the coat a bit greasy tor a day or so but it worked a treat for my cat.
 

IndyJones

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Is it winter where you are? Might want to get a small humidifier and put it where she spends most of her time.

Poor diet can also cause dandruff. Switch to a better food if you are feeding wiskas or cat chow or other budget foods.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. Some cats are more prone to dander than others. It doesn't always have to be tied to their diet, and can be worse in the winter. Above ideas are good, but frequent brushings also help because they disperse the natural oils throughout the skin/hair.
 

nurseangel

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Daisy is obese and has dandruff. (I'm not saying your cat is, just mine.) I try combing/brushing until the danger of losing a hand is imminent. I also found some cat wipes at a reasonable price online. They don't do so much for the dandruff, but help keep her coat shiny and clean. She is also much more tolerant of those than brushing. I love my Good Girl, she's just a little on the feisty side. :wink:
 

terestrife

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My cat used to have this issue, I would comb her with a boars hair bristle brush.

Now I just add extra water to her wet food (to make her think she's eating more. ) the dandruff resolved itself.
 

susanm9006

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Willow has had dandruff even when I adopted her as a skinny one year old. She is much improved on a grain free diet but will still get scaly when she is developing a mat.
 

lollie

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Koshka gets good food and gets brushed regularly, but is still prone to dandruff. I find giving her a dropper full of an omega 3 pet oil once a week, takes care of it. I have to give it by mouth, because she hates it. Most cats like it added to their food.
 

IndyJones

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Koshka gets good food and gets brushed regularly, but is still prone to dandruff. I find giving her a dropper full of an omega 3 pet oil once a week, takes care of it. I have to give it by mouth, because she hates it. Most cats like it added to their food.
I wouldn't add any medication or supplement to cat food. Sometimes it can cause food aversion. And a cat that won't eat is in trouble.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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Dandruff and dry skin can be a result of dehydration, even just mild dehydration if it is a chronic state. Adding more water to their food(s) and/or having lots of water dishes around can go a long way towards making sure they drink more water, if they happen to eat foods that are more dehydrating (like dry food). It's also good to make sure they have regular vet checks, to rule out any possible diseases (like diabetes) or other health issues -- just to be sure. Sometimes dandruff (possible dehydration of some sort) can be your first "clue" with these things.
 

GoldyCat

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I started giving my cats salmon oil with their wet food. They all have wonderful soft shiny fur now. There was only one who had dandruff all the time and I haven't seen any dandruff on her since about 3 days after I started the salmon oil.
 

__Dina__

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I started giving my cats salmon oil with their wet food. They all have wonderful soft shiny fur now. There was only one who had dandruff all the time and I haven't seen any dandruff on her since about 3 days after I started the salmon oil.
ooooh where did you buy your salmon oil and how much do you give?
 

siamesecat108

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Other people mentioned this, but my cat had dandruff eating dry food- when I switched her to wet food, the dandruff completely resolved.
 

GoldyCat

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ooooh where did you buy your salmon oil and how much do you give?
There are a lot of different brands out there. I got my first bottle from PawTree on the recommendation of a friend, but it was super expensive. I ended up going with Wild Alaskan salmon oil from Petco, which has worked just as well.

It comes in a squirt bottle and I put one squirt in each dish with their wet food. It's not exact, but comes out to about 1/2 tsp per squirt.

The first month I gave it every day, then backed off to every other day. I'm really happy with all my kitties' coats now, including the ones that looked good before.
 

verna davies

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I have used the same oil as Goldycat with success. I also rub do2me coconut oil on the tips of my fingers and massage it onto the cats skin. It leaves the coat a bit greasy for a few days but cleared the dandruff problem.
 

__Dina__

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There are a lot of different brands out there. I got my first bottle from PawTree on the recommendation of a friend, but it was super expensive. I ended up going with Wild Alaskan salmon oil from Petco, which has worked just as well.

It comes in a squirt bottle and I put one squirt in each dish with their wet food. It's not exact, but comes out to about 1/2 tsp per squirt.

The first month I gave it every day, then backed off to every other day. I'm really happy with all my kitties' coats now, including the ones that looked good before.
ahhh thank you! i will try this!
 

mrsgreenjeens

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BOTH of my cats suddenly have huge dandruff flakes when they have never had them before. They do not eat dry food. As a matter of fact, one eats raw and the other eats some raw and some high quality wet. I have always added extra liquid to their meals because I've already had three kidney cats and am trying not to have any more. I've always kept their water dish full even though, until lately, I've never seen them drink from it. Lately, though, I'm seeing them drinking a lot . Of course, I would immediately suspect health issues, except that it's both of them, AND, they both had their senior check-ups in mid March with complete Senior Blood Panels (T-4, kidney, etc) and passed with flying colors.

So their raw food already contains Omega 3's, but I've been adding an extra Omega 3 oil from Nordic Naturals. (they re NOT fans of any type of fish oil, I might add - it's a struggle. And I've tried so many different brands and flavors) Plus I'm brushing them every day. I can see these huge flakes on them constantly, but when I part their fur, I don't see anything wrong with their skin. Is there something I can try to rub on their skin to help (besides coconut oil)? One cat is fairly long haired and not sure just how I would get down to his skin with oil. Or is there anything else I can try to put in their food to fix this from the inside?

BTW, the humidity here is running around 5% (yes that's right...dry as a bone), and it's hotter than blazes so our A/C is running pretty much 24/7, which can't be helping at all. We do run a humidifier at night in the bedroom, but they don't always hang out in there

Thanks all.
 
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