Dandruff in cats

What kind of dandruff does cats have

There are 3 types of dandruff in feline representatives.

• Dry. You can shake it off your hands, wool. Gives the animal's hair a dry, dull appearance.
• Fat. It may have a different density. So, the "liquid" variant is manifested by a pronounced greasiness of the hairs, which are glued together. If the animal is petted, the excess of the secret will remain in the palm of your hand. With an increased density of dandruff (there is less sebaceous secretion, and more skin scales), it remains in large quantities under the nails of the owner when trying to scratch the pet.
• Mixed. The necrosis of skin cells and the work of the sebaceous glands occur unevenly on the surface of the animal's body, which leads to alternation of dry and oily seborrhea.

Why does dandruff occur in cats

The causes that cause the appearance of dandruff in cats are divided into two categories: external and internal.

Diagnosis of dandruff in cats

To cure a mustachioed pet, you need to find out why he has dandruff. And here you can not do without the help of a veterinarian. In the clinic, the owner will be asked about the peculiarities of the cat's residence and nutrition, favorite habits (for example, prefers to "sunbathe" in direct sunlight), hygiene products, past illnesses, and so on.

A mandatory item will be the delivery of laboratory tests (which ones are at the discretion of the doctor):

• blood for general indicators, biochemistry, hormonal changes;
• taking material from the surface of the skin;
• biopsy;
• culture research in a nutrient medium and others.

If the tests show the presence of pathological changes in the animal's body, the veterinarian may prescribe further examination.

Is it possible to determine the cause of dandruff at home

In the absence of a veterinarian, you can approximately find out what caused the appearance of dandruff in a cat. For example, if there are light yellow scales on the pet's body, then such seborrhea can be caused by allergies, UV radiation (from the sun), a disorder of the activity of internal organs.

Black dandruff is a sign of an infectious disease caused by parasites or fungus. With such a symptom, the owner should immediately show the cat to a veterinary specialist.

If the increased separation of dead skin particles is localized at the tail, it can be assumed that the pet has received a sunburn or has contracted a fungal infection. The same location of seborrhea is observed in feline representatives who are overweight (since it is physically difficult for an animal to reach this area).

Helminthiasis, dermatomycosis, joint diseases and other pathologies can lead to dandruff localized not only in the tail area, but also in the lumbar area. And wandering dandruff (in the form of "tracks") on the back, muzzle, paws often serves as a sign of a subcutaneous tick.

How to treat dandruff in cats

Treatment of dandruff in cats is carried out comprehensively and necessarily provides for compliance with hygienic rules. The owner of a fluffy pet will not only have to provide him with medicines, but also carry out general cleaning of the premises, monitor the behavior so that there is no hypothermia, overheating, contact with foreign animals and so on.

Therapeutic activities include:

• medical treatment of the underlying disease, if it has been detected;
• taking antihistamines that eliminate itching;
• taking vitamins;
• application of therapeutic detergents;
• folk methods;
• diet therapy (especially for overweight and allergic origin of dandruff);
• massage that improves blood circulation in the skin.

With increased dryness of the air, it is recommended to put a humidifier or use improvised methods.

Medical treatment

Medications prescribed for the treatment of dandruff to mustachioed patients may belong to different groups. In case of inflammatory processes on the skin (dermatitis) or their high risk, the doctor will prescribe anti–inflammatory drugs, in case of itching - antihistamines. Depending on the disease that provoked seborrhea, it is possible to prescribe the following groups of drugs:

• anthelmintic;
• antifungal;
• hormonal;
• antibacterial.

If the reason lies not in an internal violation, but in an external factor, then, as a rule, they are limited to diet, folk methods and a change of hygiene products.

Vitamins for dandruff

The veterinary pharmacy today offers a huge selection of vitamin and mineral complexes that help restore the metabolism and appearance of the cat. Some of them are aimed at activating the growth of wool (Sherstevit), others have an anti-allergic effect (for example, Veda). There are complexes that normalize the work of the sebaceous glands, affecting metabolic processes in general (Farmavit-neo). Taking vitamins is a mandatory part of dandruff treatment, regardless of its cause.

Therapeutic shampoos

Therapeutic shampoos will help to rid the cat of severe dandruff. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the composition. They usually contain the following components.

Shampoos have gained the greatest popularity at the moment: Fiprex (from external parasites), Doctor (anti-seborrheic, destroys the fungus), Biovax (normalizes the activity of the sebaceous glands).

Important: a therapeutic hygiene product should correspond to the type of dandruff in a cat. Otherwise, complications are possible.

Folk methods

Choosing one or another folk method of treatment, you also need to take into account what type of dandruff is formed in a cat. For example, when dandruff is dry, lactic acid, urea, and oils are used to wash the animal. If the scales are greasy, drying agents are used: salicylic acid, vinegar, preparations with sulfur. In any case, a good effect is given by rubbing oils (burdock, olive, calendula) into the wool and skin, since in parallel there is a massaging of the skin, improvement of blood flow, cleansing of the epidermis.

Wool can be wiped with decoctions of medicinal plants. Infusions of calendula or a succession, burdock, decoction of oats are often used. Such wiping can be done every other day. Dousing with herbal decoctions or bathing in them is allowed to be carried out once every 1-2 months. You can combine washing with a therapeutic shampoo and rinsing the wool with a vegetable solution.

What is the danger of dandruff for cats

Running dandruff can lead to complications. One of them is hair loss, up to complete or local baldness. It happens that such places are difficult or impossible to restore in the future. Loss occurs due to the fact that the accumulation of dandruff prevents gas exchange in the skin, causing a violation of metabolic processes, weakening of hair follicles.

Another complication is purulent inflammation of the skin, reaching deep layers. The accumulation of dead epidermis serves as an excellent breeding ground for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. Normally, they live on healthy skin, but they cannot harm due to the good work of local immunity. With seborrhea, the immune system weakens, microbes multiply, redness, irritation, itching occur. As a result of combing, the infection penetrates even deeper – ulcers, pus, eczema appear.

Preventive measures

The appearance of dandruff on the cat's fur can be prevented. To do this, you will need:

• periodically comb out the pet, especially if it has a long coat, as well as during molting;
• prevent the animal from being in the sun for a long time;
• ensure a balanced diet, sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals;
• when feeding industrial formulations, carefully read the information about the ingredients included in them, avoiding a large number of allergenic substances (dyes, preservatives, flavors);
• during water procedures, monitor the temperature of the water, preventing its increase;
• buy quality shampoos;
• regularly carry out prevention of internal and external parasites;
• monitor the caloric content of the cat's food, preventing excess weight;
• eliminate stress.

When the first symptoms are detected, it is necessary to show the cat to the veterinarian. You should not treat dandruff yourself, by trial and error.