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Why Does My Cat Suffer From Dry And Flaky Skin?

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Does Your Cat Suffer From Dry Skin And Feline Dandruff?

Give your feline friend relief from the agony of dry and itchy skin problems.

Feline dandruff is a skin condition defined by dry, itchy, or flaky cat skin. Causes of cat dandruff may be associated with a loss in skin moisture and natural oils. The feline dandruff remedy depends on the cause of your cat’s skin problem.

A lack of fish oil with omega 3 fatty acids in a cat’s diet can lead to this poor skin condition. If your cat has feline dandruff, begins scratching, or starts shedding excessively, he may have a dry skin problem associated with a poor diet. Feline skin disorders can be traced to one or more underlying disorders by your veterinarian.

A few ways to tell if your cat has dry, itchy skin is to look for scabs, scaly patches, bald spots, or flakes that will look similar to dandruff. These symptoms can appear anywhere on your cat, however, they’re most commonly found around the nose, tail, lower back, and ears.

Once you have determined that your cat has dry skin, the more difficult part is to figure out what the cause is. Only then will you be able to get the right treatment and feline dandruff remedy for your cat.

Moisturizing lotion can give temporary relief but is seldom an option to cure the problem. Instead, try moisturizing the cat’s skin from the inside out with a healthier diet. Introducing high-quality fish oil and adding some humidity to the air in your home can help.

Brush your cat on a regular basis, this should keep your cat’s coat clean and soft. It also will help remove fur and dead skin before it can cause irritation.

One of the best things you can do to relieve your cat’s dry skin is to feed him a healthy and well-balanced diet that provides plenty of moisture, maybe canned food, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Give your pet’s dry skin a diet supplement boost in omega 3 fatty acids with some extra all-natural fish oil for dogs and cats.

One of these shampoos from Amazon is a good option to go along with a healthy diet.

As an Amazon affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases

Is Feline Dandruff And Cat Dander Problem The Same Thing?

Feline dandruff is actually dead, dried-out skin cells while Cat Dander is the normal shedding of skin cells.

Feline dandruff is usually the result of some sort of allergic dermatitis a natural reaction to something such as allergies from food or parasitic infestation, such as ringworm, ticks, or mites, also sunburn can cause cat dandruff. There are many other causes of cat dandruff that make your cat’s skin dry, itchy, or scaly. A visit to your cat’s vet may be necessary to determine the cause of your kitty’s skin problem.

Cat Dander refers to the normal shedding of your cat’s dead skin cells, combined with proteins in your cat’s saliva left on the hair and skin after your cat grooms itself. (Incidentally, dander, and not cat hair, is the cause of allergies to cats in humans.)

I hope this helps to clarify the difference between the two so you don’t get confused when trying to diagnose your cat’s skin condition. Knowing the difference will ensure that you are treating your cat properly to remedy his skin problems. Knowing and treating the cause of your cat’s dandruff will give him comfort while his skin clears up. Look for grooming products designed for cats with dry skin.
Just a side note: Cat dander and not cat hair is the cause of feline allergies in humans.

Can You Catch Diseases From Your Pets?

Your pets can sometimes carry harmful germs that can spread to people. If you are not taking the correct precautions it can cause illness in humans – these are known as zoonotic diseases or zoonoses.

Some skin diseases have zoonotic potential, other animals, including humans, can potentially become infected. Taking precautions, such as wearing gloves while treating your cat can minimize direct skin contact during the initial treatment. Maintaining a clean and sterile home environment during treatment will minimize the chances of being infected.

What Causes Scaly Dry Cat Skin?

There can be many different reasons why your cat has dry and flaky skin. Feline skin disorders are likely the result of poor health or low-quality food and need to be diagnosed by your vet. It can also be as simple as bathing your cat too often. A list of the 14 most common causes of feline skin conditions is listed below.

14 Causes Of Scaly, Dry Cat Skin, And Feline Dandruff

  1. In Some Scaly Cat Skin Cases, (idiopathic seborrhea) The Exact Cause Cannot Be Determined
  2. Some Cases Are Either Environmental Or Inherited From Birth
  3. Age-Related
  4. Skin Infections
  5. Vitamin A Deficiency
  6. Zinc Deficiency
  7. Allergies From Pollen, Flea Bites or Low-Quality Food
  8. Hormonal Disorders
  9. Parasitic Infestation
  10. Disorders In Skin And Hair Follicle Development
  11. Inflammation Of Glands That Produce Natural Oils In The Skin And Hair Coat
  12. Disorders In Normal Replacement Of Shedding Of Skin Cells
  13. Immune System Disorders, Where The Body’s Immune System Attacks Its Own Skin
  14. Tumors Of The Skin

Best Feline Dandruff Remedies

Dry Itchy Cat Skin

Feline dandruff and dry cat skin condition is often lifelong, a problem that will need to be managed. Be sure to have regular visits with a veterinarian for evaluating progress and adjusting the treatment plan.

Nutrition

Cats need a high-quality diet that consists of lots of protein and moderate amounts of fat. Adding more essential fatty acids like salmon oil to your cat’s diet a few times a week can help to improve skin conditions. Fatty acids are a huge part of a healthy coat and skin.

Flea And Tick Prevention

Fleas are known to parasites, such as tapeworm, which primarily affect pets.  Fleas can carry tapeworm larvae. If your cat swallows an infected flea while grooming himself an adult tapeworm can grow inside your cat’s intestines.

Grooming

Brushing your cat daily with one of these brushes from Amazon will release your cat’s natural skin oils and distribute them throughout his entire coat. Brushing also helps to remove dander, dead hair, and stimulate the hair follicles which allows the oil glands to help naturally heal your cat’s skin.

Allergy Management

Adding a high-quality complete oil to your cat’s diet that contains all the essential fatty acids will help your cat’s skin condition. your cat can have up to 1/2 teaspoon with each meal.

Adjust Your Thermostat

Indoor heating systems can lead to dry skin in both humans and cats. Adding humidifiers in your home may benefit you as much as your cat during those cold winter months. Adding humidity back into your home will help to prevent skin problems caused by dry non-humid air.

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References:

https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/c_ct_scaling_skin

https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html