Sick Kitty with Dumb Mommy HELP!!!

[poorkitty]

I hope there is someone who can help me. My husband who was the main care taker of our year old cat has recently moved away. Our cat Sasha is full of dandruff. Even crusty like you could pick it with your finger nails. She is miserable. I have tried rubbing leave in conditioner on her. Since my husband basically abandoned me with 3 children and a cat ...I can't afford to take her to the vet right now. Sasha is an indoor cat and has never been out side. But she itchs sooooo bad. HELP ME... is there any home remedys for this???
Thanks
PoorKitty

 

[momofmany]

Over the counter shampoos are generally not wise with a cat. Suggest that you call your vet and ask what type of shampoo would be best in this circumstance. They often have medicated shampoos available that can help these types of problems. If this persists, you should really try to get your kitty to the vet - untreated skin problems can be very costly in the long run. Many vets will work out payment plans (mine takes Visa).

 

[lorie d.]

I agree with the advice already given. You could also ask your veterinary clinic if there are any inexpensive nutritional supplements available that would help improve the condition of your cat's skin and coat.

 

[hissy]

I have to agree, many human shampoos/conditioners are harmful and yes even fatal for cats. Putting conditioner on your cat is not a good idea for that type of problem is generally parasite related, or diet related. You need to see a vet and pretty quickly. I know what it is like to be bailed on by a husband and be left virtually broke- (been there, done that have the tee shirt) But the vet needs to look at your cat and determine what is going on, then give you the proper treatment for this cat. And though in the past it was true that human products were also safe for animals, this no longer holds true, because of the fact that there are companies out there that no longer test human products on animals. Some still do, but most do not, leaving many products unsafe for your pet.


Good luck-

 

[tulip2454]

my kitties sometimes get 'dandruff' and it is often flea related. I do agree though - anyway to get to the vet? Do you have any sort of Blue Cross or RSPCA equivelant vet near you - over here we have quite a few free vets for those on benefit or low income. You pay what you can,if you can, when you can. If these are not available I would of thought that a fee paying vet would let you pay on installments or the like. Sometimes it is less than you think.
Please dont try over the counter flea products though as they can cause dreadful reactions and you end up paying out more than you would of done.

good luck - keep us posted

 

[poorkitty]

Hi all! Thanks for your replys. I sat and rubbed veggie oil in her skin and mixed a little in her food. That is what the vet told me to try, I brushed her out good also. They also told me to run a humidifier. So I am going to get the filter for mine to day and hopefully she will come out of this. Thanks for your advice!!
[Sasha's Mommy ~ Poor Kitty~

 

[sicycat]

She is a beautiful cat. Good luck with her.

 

[hell603]

what really helped my moms girl Piper - who always had oily fur and dandruff are regular brushings with ZOOM GROOM. Yes, ZOOM GROOM and nothing else. Her fur improved drastically and no more dandruff. I guess it got out the hair below that was trapping the oil and dander.

It's a $6 investment through Petsmart and well worth the money. Give it a try

 

[1kitty2kitty]

When we got our tuxedo cat Monte from a rescue organization he was COVERED with dandruff, which worried me because I am at least mildly allergic to cat dander! He now has a beautiful coat - shiny and dandruff free -- he gets lots of compliments on it. The dandruff probably had two causes in Monte's case: stress, (the dandruff was noticeably worse after our 1 hour drive home than it was when we first put him into the car) and diet.

I bring up the stress because you mentioned that your kitty's primary caretaker has moved away -- that sort of change can be very hard on a kitty, as I am sure it is on the rest of you. She, like the rest of the household, may need some time to adjust to her new circumstances.

Also, there is one supplement I know of that you can make yourself to add to your kitty's food. We found it to make worlds of difference (this is what we added to Monte's food before completely switching him to a raw diet, which helped his coat even more). It comes from Anitra Frazier's book: The New Natural Cat. It takes a little bit of prep, a little bit of money, and a bit of research to find some of the ingredients, but it was totally worth it for us:

Vita-mineral Mix
1 1/2 cups yeast powder (brewer's, tarula, or nutritional)
1/4 cups kelp powder or 1/4 cup trace mineral powder
1 cup lecithin granules
2 cups wheat bran
2 cups human grade bone meal, calcium lactate or clacium gluconate

mix well and store covered in the refrigerator.
add 1 tsp. of the mix to each cat's food twice per day.

Mothers Market, Whole Foods Market, and other health food chains carry most, if not all, of the ingredients.

Here is the rational behind the supplement suggestion:
Some people, Anitra Frazier included, believe that dandruff is actually a waste product that is caused by a back-up of wastes in the cat's system. (much of what follows will paraphrase Anitra) That is why improvements to diet should help -- proper diet keeps the body's systems functioning, so that waste is minimized and processed the way it should be. Also, you can try feeding the cat scheduled meals rather than leaving the food out 24/7. According to some, the smell of food stimulates the brain to prepare the body for digestion, which slows down waste disposal processes in the cat's system. Careful grooming is also important since it will help keep these waste products on the skin from building up and causing further problems.

If these people are right, then, when you have the money to do so, it is also not a bad idea to take the cat to the vet to see if there is any other underlying cause of dandruff -- it could be indicative of illness in the waste processing organs: kidneys, intestines or liver, and if related to metabolism, the thyroid.