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Old May 11th, 2007, 02:30 PM
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Cat with dandruff - Answered by Dr. Van Lienden

Our old man perseus has been gettin really bad dandruff. Well, he's always had it, but it's been getting really bad lately, probably b/c of the heat. I was wondering if anyone knew what we could do to minimize it. We tried switching foods and not reall change in that, he drinks plently of water and is in otherwise good health, besies being old and crabby. It's just when i get the rare chance to brush him, the flakes get worse and then stuck in the comb. I would try rubbing him down w/ water to keep the skin not so dry but he's not too fond of water unless it's outta the bathroom faucet
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Old May 11th, 2007, 03:05 PM
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Rub-downs with water are more likely to dry out his skin further...I wouldn't recommend it. I would ask your vet about a fatty acid/omega 3 supplement. It works from the inside out and can be a big help for dandruffy skin. You can usually pick these up from any pharmacy/health store, but I'd ask for a proper dose.
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Old May 11th, 2007, 03:16 PM
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What kinds of foods have you tried him on? My Sam had dandruff all the time (especially at the base of her tail on her back) until I switched her off of Iams and onto Innova, a much better quality food. It only took a couple of months to see a huge difference, even the amount of hair that she shed was less. I would suggest trying something with lots of fish in it, or even better, no grains like Innova EVO or Orijen. My kitties are super soft and silky now!
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Old May 11th, 2007, 03:25 PM
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Yup, what they said. The food makes all the difference. A higher quality food will combat skin problems in addition to supplements if you so desire. There are lots of fish oil supplements at pet food supply stores.
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Old May 23rd, 2007, 09:22 AM
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There are cat and dog friendly shampoos to remove dandruff. Unfortunately, for hydrophobes (those afraid of water) the best solution to dandruff is still medicated soap and water, followed by some type of water based emollient rinse.

I have yet to meet the dandruff stricken dude who pours vegetable oil on his head to treat dandruff, or maybe I did in university but have subsequently blocked it from my mind. Pets are the same: dandruff is just an accumulation of an outer layer of dead skin cells that are not being shed. Normal process of turnover, abnormal accumulation of scurf (thin flakes of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin). Bath time for Bonzo.

Dr. Van Lienden

Dr. Raymond Van Lienden DVM
The Animal Clinic of Clifton
12702 Chapel Road, Clifton
Virginia, U.S.A. 20124
703-802-0490
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Old October 28th, 2007, 12:54 PM
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Cat Dandruff - Cat Litter

My cat has dandruff, and I'm wondering if it may be the litter. Would a change in Cat Litter do the trick? If so, what brand is the best to switch too?
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Old October 28th, 2007, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by electra73 View Post
My cat has dandruff, and I'm wondering if it may be the litter. Would a change in Cat Litter do the trick? If so, what brand is the best to switch too?
I doubt the litter has anything to do with it. Is the dandruff a new thing or has your cat always had it?
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Old August 1st, 2008, 04:01 AM
8ball 8ball is offline
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Cat Dandruff

I have 3 cats, but only 1 has dandruff problems. She's already on a speacial diet due to wait and problems w/ UTIs, so I can't change her food. I brush her almost every other day because she has a very thick coat for being a short haired cat. I also give her a bath once a month, to help with the dandruff and to help her get rid of some of her excess hair. The vet says there is not anything else wrong with her, and it doesn't seem to bother her. Any suggestions?
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Old August 1st, 2008, 11:05 AM
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Shadow has dandruff too - he's black and it really shows on him. I have tried to change his food - he is on Max Cat - and he absolutely refuses to eat anything but that! I'm sure it's the food that contributes to his dandruff but when he won't eat anything but that - what to do????
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Old August 1st, 2008, 12:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 8ball View Post
I have 3 cats, but only 1 has dandruff problems. She's already on a speacial diet due to wait and problems w/ UTIs, so I can't change her food.
What's the specific food (and is it canned or dry?) that she's eating? How long has she been on it?
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Old August 1st, 2008, 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by JanM View Post
I'm sure it's the food that contributes to his dandruff but when he won't eat anything but that - what to do????
Is the Max Cat wet or dry? What other foods have you tried? How have you introduced them?

There are some tips here for transitioning that might help: http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitionin...o_Canned_Food_
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Old August 1st, 2008, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by sugarcatmom View Post
Is the Max Cat wet or dry? What other foods have you tried? How have you introduced them?

There are some tips here for transitioning that might help: http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitionin...o_Canned_Food_
Thanks for the link - excellent information! Shadow is on dry Max Cat - chicken flavour. From reading the article - I gave up way too soon!
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Old August 3rd, 2008, 01:53 AM
8ball 8ball is offline
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Dandruff and food

Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarcatmom View Post
What's the specific food (and is it canned or dry?) that she's eating? How long has she been on it?
arm cat
She's on Eukanuba Adult Indoor Weight Control & Hairball Formula for Cats
dry food, she's been on this food for about 2 and a half years. My other 2 cats are on the Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula, which seems to be working good for them. The oldest cat is a short hair black and white, and the youngest is long haired (brown and white.)
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Old August 3rd, 2008, 10:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 8ball View Post
arm cat
She's on Eukanuba Adult Indoor Weight Control & Hairball Formula for Cats
dry food, she's been on this food for about 2 and a half years. My other 2 cats are on the Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula, which seems to be working good for them. The oldest cat is a short hair black and white, and the youngest is long haired (brown and white.)
There is no reason you can't change all of your cat's food to something better. I'm going to be blunt, but both of the brands you're feeding are pretty bad and is no doubt the reason the one has dandruff. I'd even go so far as to say that if you don't change their food, you're going to end up with worse problems than just dandruff. Like diabetes, kidney/bladder/urinary tract disease, allergies, dental problems, obesity, or inflammatory bowel disease.

First of all, while there is no kibble that is actually good for cats (it's merely a human convenience, nothing more), the "weight control" and "indoor" formulas are particularly horrid for a carnivore. They have even more grains and carbohydrates than regular food (up to 50%), and cats should be eating very little or NO grains. It's the carb content of food that makes them fat in the first place. And also gives them diabetes and dental disease.

It's the extreme dryness of kibble (less than 10% moisture) that has enormous potential for causing all the kidney and urinary tract problems that cats are so prone to. They evolved in the desert getting most of their water needs met through the prey they eat (which are about 60-80% moisture). Consequently, their thirst drive is very low and by the time they're thirsty enough to drink, they're already dehydrated. A cat fed only kibble is chronically dehydrated, no matter how much water you see it drinking. This places enormous strain on the kidneys. It also results in very concentrated urine where crystal formation becomes a problem (blocking urinary tracts in males, causing bladder irritation and infection in females).

So what should you feed instead? WET FOOD!!! A good quality, low-carb and preferably grain-free canned food with minimal by-products (unless you want to be even more adventurous and make the leap to a raw diet - but that takes considerably more research). Something like Wellness, Nature's Variety, By Nature, Innova Evo 95% meat. Other good ones are Merrick, Precise, Eagle Pack, Natural Balance, and even some of the gluten-free Fancy Feast flavours if you need help convincing your cats that canned food is edible.

There is some really great reading on the feline diet at this website, with tips on how to transition your cats to wet food. Also this link goes into more detail on why dry food makes cats fat in the first place. Please do all your cats a favour and feed them something that helps them thrive, not merely survive.
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Old September 3rd, 2008, 01:31 AM
Dj~ChinaEyes Dj~ChinaEyes is offline
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Cat with dandruff

I have 2 cats they both eat meow mix my 2 year old female has bad dandruff bad. and my 1 year old hardly none would useing olive oil on their food help babygirl? they both eat and drink out of same dishes

Last edited by Dj~ChinaEyes; September 3rd, 2008 at 01:34 AM.
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Old September 3rd, 2008, 11:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dj~ChinaEyes View Post
I have 2 cats they both eat meow mix my 2 year old female has bad dandruff bad. and my 1 year old hardly none would useing olive oil on their food help babygirl? they both eat and drink out of same dishes
I use salmon oil on top of my cats wet food. Olive oil is okay but I'd rather use salmon oil. Meow Mix isn't very good anyways.

You should try using a new brand of food just for the heck of it, and brush your dandruffy cat more often. You can use waterless bath foams and wipes to help add some moisture to her fur in a safe and easy way. Blue Buffalo has foam kind that you rub into the fur, brush the cat and then wipe her down.
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