I have a fat cat (19lbs) who has all of a sudden developed dandruff. I noticed it a few days ago, mostly around his lower back near and around his tail area. I notice his coat has felt greasy the past few days. Is there cause for concern? What can I do for him? Nothing out of the ordinary has happened. I started him on a new food about 6 weeks ago (Wellness Weight control) and he's done well on it and likes it. I can't imagine that would be the cause but what do I know?
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Sudden Dandruff?
- Thread starter cee22
- Start Date
Many "weight control" products reduce the FAT content rather than the carbohydrate content. That is old thinking but it's still out there. Cats need lots of fat to keep their skin and coat healthy. (In a dry food, the ideal proportion of protein to fat is 3:2.) I suspect that the fat content of the new food is not sufficient to nourish his skin, even though you say his coat feels "greasy." Six weeks is about the right amount of time for something like that to show up from a change in diet. I would suggest either going back to the old food and reducing the AMOUNT you feed him, or finding a better food altogether. There are some really good articles here about successful weight reduction plans. A grain-free wet food might be the best approach for your cat. Also, dry food is concentrated calories, so wet food is usually a better choice. Certainly most cats do better on wet food in the long run. Since he did not have dandruff while on his old food, I would suggest you put him back on that until you figure out a new weight reduction regime, which may include increasing exercise (several DaBird sessions daily) and lowering carbohydrates, not fat, in the food. Thanks for being so observant! Your cat will be better for it.
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I was interested to read this thread because our big cat has problems in the same area! I was just coming on to post, but thought I'd tag onto yours.
I think that our cat is not able to bend to clean herself well there. Recently she's lost quite a bit of weight. But, it seems like not grooming that part of herself has become a habit. She's 14 and seems to be walking more carefully lately, so I also wonder if she could be a little arthritic and just not as bendy as before.
She gets itchy dandruff clumps (??) back there. They must be a bit unpleasant to remove as she licks her front paws voraciously while being groomed back there. But, she also wants them gone. She stays and leans into the scratching and brushing.
Poor kitty!
I wonder if she needs a good bath...
I think that our cat is not able to bend to clean herself well there. Recently she's lost quite a bit of weight. But, it seems like not grooming that part of herself has become a habit. She's 14 and seems to be walking more carefully lately, so I also wonder if she could be a little arthritic and just not as bendy as before.
She gets itchy dandruff clumps (??) back there. They must be a bit unpleasant to remove as she licks her front paws voraciously while being groomed back there. But, she also wants them gone. She stays and leans into the scratching and brushing.
Poor kitty!
I wonder if she needs a good bath...
I have a big boy and I have to regularly groom his back near the tail and the back of his legs because he can't reach. The dandruff is from lack of grooming. I take a flea comb to groom my baby it gets the hair and most of the dandruff if has any.
