"Dry" fur?

[chiarabab]

Hello everyone!

Today my boyfriend took the kitties to the vet (two neutered males: Fletcher, 1yo, black longhair, and Barnaby, 8mo, white shorthair) for a checkup, since they both had symptoms related to calicivirus in the past.

They are both well, but apparently the vet made an observation about Barnaby's fur looking a little dry.

Now, OBVIOUSLY my boyfriend, being male, didn't think much of it and didn't ask for clarification, but as soon as he told me I saw it as an incredibly serious problem 

2014-01-26 09.00.47.jpg

• chiarabab
• Mar 19, 2014

 

[lamiatron]

your boys are gorgeous! and it's so nice to see them getting along so well (i've followed your other thread regarding their speedy intro!)

my black girl kitty has the same issue. her skin/fur is a bit dry too. and i'm sure you can't tell on your barnaby, because he is white, but i suspect he has a bit of dandruff too. i can see it on my Jet, that's because she's black.

here are a couple of things that i do, that help with my girl. i'm not sure what is available to you in Italy, but i hope this helps you:

1) every couple of days, i give Jet a full wipe down with a moisturizing pet wipe

2) i put coconut oil on my hair and scalp. whatever left over residue i have on my hands after applying on myself, i rub it off on Jet. since it is such a MINUTE amount coconut oil, it will not harm her if she ingests it while grooming. Coconut oil is actually not harmful to cats, unless they ingest large quantities..

3) i suspect he needs more omega in his diet. that will help with his fur and skin health. you can try mixing some omega rich oils into his food, like salmon oil. you can find a good selection of the stuff at a pet store, or maybe look online...if you want some suggestions let me know...or you can try and find treats, that are chew-able, that are specifically for skin and coat health.

i am doing the wipe down of my girl, with the coconut oil ON her fur, and then flax seed oil for animals in her food. it has helped her tremendously. it also has helped both cats with shedding (both Charlie and Jet are getting the flax seed oil in their food)

If you have any concerns, you should talk to your vet. there is nothing wrong with that in fact it would be best to speak with your vet and see what they recommend and discuss with your vet, your course of action!

 

[lamiatron]

this thread might be helpful to you!

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/274619/advice-giving-cat-fish-oils-or-omega-3