by Diana Coman

Created on: May 07, 2009

Cat dandruff seems to be one of the top concerns of cat owners. And repeatedly, obvious treatments such as cat anti-dandruff shampoos are reported as not solving the problem. But cat dandruff can actually be treated. So, what is cat dandruff, why does it appear and how to treat it? And better yet, how to prevent it?

Cat dandruff is usually nothing more than dry, flaky skin. Do not mistaken it for cat dander. Cat dander is the natural shedding of dead skin from your cat while cat dandruff is excessive dry and possibly itchy skin. Cat dander is just natural for the cat, although it is one of the main causes of human allergies to cats. On the other hand, cat dandruff doesn't usually cause human allergies, but it is unaesthetic and it signals sometimes that the cat has parasites or a serious health problem.

The most common causes of cat dandruff are improper diet, obesity, sunburn, parasites, dry air, sensitivity to something in the cat's living area, and medication that causes dry and itchy skin. Less frequent causes include systemic disorders and certain diseases such as thyroid problems and diabetes. If you notice persistent cat dandruff associated with additional symptoms such as scabs or increased lethargy, take the cat to the vet to determine if your cat is not afflicted by a more serious health problem.

The effective treatment of cat dandruff depends mainly on the initial cause. As the most common cause is improper diet, the dandruff might be treated simply by providing better food for your cat. Dry cat food should be replaced with moist canned food, or raw food. The reason is that cats might develop dandruff simply because of not getting enough moisture from their diet. Cats in the wild hunt live prey and eat it getting from this food the needed moisture. By comparison, domestic cats that eat only dry food get very little moisture and are unable to compensate in other ways for this (cats just don't really drink water). A diet low in omega 3 fat acids can also be the cause of cat dandruff. One way to solve this is to add to your cat's food a bit of canned tuna fish (a few forks full should be quite enough).

Obesity can cause dandruff because an overweight cat is simply not able to groom itself properly. In this cases the dandruff is most likely to appear first in places that are harder to reach such as the base of the tail, but it can spread in time all over the cat's body. The only solution in this case is to put your feline friend on a weight-loss

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