Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Oooooooh kay. So, my 12 year old short hair tiger cat, Rascal, is developing some pretty nasty dandruff that seems to be only getting worse. I'm heading out to buy some oil to start putting in his food.. Tried "Shed-x" before, didn't seem to do a whole lot. Going to see what the store offers.

Anyway, I would love to bathe him, but the few times I've tried I just ended up with about 300 scratches, a sore back and an angry, bitter kitty. I've tried that waterless foam shampoo but that really doesn't seem to do anything for his coat, either. Its getting to the point that when I brush him, it snows like Denver... yuck.

I'm frustrated! I know dandruff can be a sign of illness -- we took him to the vet for other issues he's been having just recently (although the dandruff has been present for years -- its just getting really bad lately) and he may be diabetic. They need to do more tests.

Can anyone give me advice? His dandruff is just getting terribly bad and I'm at an impass. Thanks for any advice I can be given!!

Hi There,

I think you should hold off bathing your kitty. The dandruff may be related to his possibly having diabetes, and stressing him will raise his blood glucose. Not a good thing right now.

The best thing you can do is add some kind of suppliment to his food in hopes that will help his coat. Please make sure that whatever you use does not contain sugar or a lot of carbs. Pure salmon or olive oil should be fine.

Please let us know when you find out if your baby is diabetic. If this is the case, remember that diabetic cats tend to do well with the right diet and medical care.

Regards,
PHKitkat

What are you feeding him? A lot of problems can be solved just by feeding him a better food. Diet usually plays a big factor when it comes to skin and coat problems.