like dandruff on her coat

[carole]

i am just curious, i notice lexie has like dandruff on her coat, seemed to be ok when i first got her, but now she has this, is this a skin condition or nothing to be overly concerned about, my other cat ash has always had it, and it does not seem to cause any problems, of course it shows up more on lexie as she is black, has anyone else this problem, just wondering.

[K & L]

Cold weather often brings skin problems such as dry skin. The white flakes are most likely normal cat dander (which is the stuff that causes allergies.) There are a number of commercial products available for both topical and oral treatment of dry skin.

You could also try adding a bit of oil to kitty's diet, particularly if she is eating a straight dry food diet.

Frequent brushing: two or three times a week for shorthairs and daily for longhairs, also helps in keeping dander and shedding at a minimum.

There's also a thing called walking dandruff which is a little mite. A vet needs to exam this under a microscope to see if it's this, or just normal dander.

http://www.bobmckee.com/Client%20Info/Skin/cheyletiella%20dermatitis.html

[marysmerrycats]

odd, I was just going to post about this... my Patches has it too, and the vet said it can happen in cats that are heavy, they are not able to "bathe" themselves everywhere, and that sure is true in his case! I going to give him a bath tomorrow with someones help. that and brushing is all you can do.
is your cat overweight? if not then I don't know what casued it, you should ask your vet.

[carole]

thank you both for your advice, ashes is overweight but lexie is skinny she is only 9ths old at that skinny stage still.
I notice her coat is a little greasy at the moment, so wonder if thats anything to do with it, the cold weather has not arrived in nz yet, so im not sure what to think. I did mention it to the vet about ashes she seemed not at all concerned, did not tell me to do anything about it, so i guess its not serious.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Tubby is all black, and has had dandruff is whole life. When I first took him to the vet for it years ago, he suggested I feed him a "premium" food such as Science Diet. Seems the "premium" foods have more fats in them than the store bought ones. That didn't work for Tubby, so the vet gave me some oily stuff to put on his food. That didn't work either, so the vet said don't worry about it, he has dandruff. I could bath him, but I'm kind of attached to my limbs and would hate to loose them. ;) :)

If it's not the parasite thing, and just dandruff, I really wouldn't worry about it. :)

[carole]

thanks i think i will do just that not worry about it, not yet anyhow. bye

[marysmerrycats]

patches has it alot, and hes the fat one, charlie has a mild case of it, and he is not fat, but is long haired. Im going to try the bath, after that I dont know, if it comes back, maybe I will have to give him a bath each month. I think I will ask the vet what else I can do the next time I talk to her.

[pktdrgn]

Both of my cats also have dandruff. Nippy, who was greatly overweight is the worst. Hers has improved as she has lost weight and is more easily able to groom herself. Usually diet changes do not help much. They need regular grooming or brushing to spread the skins natural oils around and prevent dry skin. Normally, nothing to worry about unless you see bald patches, then get the cat checked by the vet for parasites, an infection or allergies.;)

[PayItForward]

We use cat cleaning cloths on George.

He just gets a bit of dander near his rear end, using the cloths clears this area nicely (and keeps our limbs safe)

[slick]

Speckles is overweight and has dandruff. But lately I've been giving her a Halibut Liver Oil pill squeezed into her wet food about 3 times a week. That seems to have cut down on the dandruff somewhat but will not make it go away completely. She hates brushing so that's not an option. I think I'm going to try those cleaning cloths and see if that helps.

Good luck.

[kimlovescats]

"walking dandruff" ???? :eek:

I learn something everyday around here!!!! :D :D :D