What Causes Dandruff in Cats?
One of my cats has terrible dandruff. The others
are fine. They all eat the same food and nobody
seems to have fleas or skin allergies. I don’t
know if it’s related to the condition but the cat
in question is overweight, asthmatic and somewhat
lazy. Her idea of exercise is to lumber to the
food bowl and chew food. I go over her with the
Zoom Groom but it doesn’t seem to be helping
much.
Belinda
Melbourne, Australia
The skin of all mammals (including cats, dogs and people) grows from a base of replicating cells. The top layer of skin, called the epidermis, continuously flakes off and is replaced by new material from the base of replicating cells.
Most of the time the flakes are small and are not produced excessively. However, some individuals prolifically produce large flakes of skin–dandruff. In extreme cases, animals’ hair may be completely covered in flakes. This syndrome is called seborrhea.
Dandruff is most noticeable in dark-haired individuals. However, it can occur in any mammal.
Certain diseases and syndromes, such as thyroid problems and diabetes, predispose animals to dandruff. However, most cases of dandruff are not related to a major systemic disease process.
If you haven’t already done so, talk to your vet about your cat’s dandruff. He or she should be able to determine whether a medical problem is contributing to the flaky skin. For the record, I have not noticed a correlation between feline asthma and dandruff. I have observed that overweight cats appear to develop dandruff more often than their svelte counterparts.
Some pets with dandruff will respond to special shampoos available through veterinarians. However, if your cat’s skin isn’t itchy or irritated you should not feel obliged to do anything about her dandruff. In most cases, dandruff is strictly a cosmetic problem. And, since cats generally do not derive much of their self esteem from their physical appearance, the situation is probably harmless.
Note about image: do not use human dandruff shampoos on pets.
You have questions. 
What causes cat dandruff? Find out on our VetBlog! http://bit.ly/15ODK
What causes cat dandruff? Find out on our VetBlog! http://bit.ly/15ODK
I’m diabetic and for 2 years noticed increasing dandruff. I was switched from Humulin-N to Lantus insulin and within a few weeks, dandruff gone! The new insulin has me better regulated too. Must be better for my system overall.
For one thing you are not suppose to give your cat human shampoo. Also you need to go and ask your vet about this and ask he/she for some de-dandruft shampoo for cats. Glad if i could help.
Avoid the heartbreak of disease! Please, stop “free-feeding” your cats; put them on a measured amount once or twice a day and separate them when they eat if need be. (Some cats just cannot “eat light” or “graze” as “normal” cats do.) Keep the cats with healthy weight on their present amount of cat food; for your dandruff kitty, cut her food down to 3/4 or 1/2 of what she presently eats. Yeah, she’ll whine, but it’s about living.
Hazel’s point about diabetes is apt; your overweight cat is a prime candidate for diabetes and other organic diseases. “Lumbering to the cat dish” is not enough exercise for your kitty. She may not feel playful right now because her joints probably hurt.
If you can get her to lose weight, she will be so much healthier, and may regain energy for playing and other cat activities. Plus, she’ll be able to groom her coat and will probably lose the ugly dandruff. You may recognize a personality in her that you had forgotten.
Good luck! Purrs.