Why does my cat have dandruff on his back

If your cat has flaky skin, it’s probably dandruff. Cat dandruff is especially common in overweight and older cats. Learn what causes it and easy remedies you can try at home to help.

Noticing white flakes every time you scratch your kitty? It’s probably dandruff. It’s a common condition, especially in overweight or older cats who can’t reach around to groom themselves as well. Learn the simple things you can do at home to get rid of cat dandruff.

Causes of Cat Dandruff 

It’s normal for both skin cells and hair to shed at the end of their growth cycle. But if dead skin cells build up—because of lack of grooming or because some cats are prone to it—they become visible and you’ll see white flakes on your kitty. Overweight and older cats do less grooming, which means you’ll see more flaky skin since it’s not being licked away. 

“Many people think dandruff is just dry skin, but cats are actually oily-skinned creatures,” says Lynn Paolillo, CFMG, CFCG, an instructor at the National Cat Groomers Institute. “Dandruff is the shedding of oily, dead skin that’s accumulated over time.”

Cat Dandruff and Dander: Not the Same!

Dandruff and dander aren’t the same things, though people often use the terms interchangeably. Allergy-inducing dander is actually caused by a protein in a cat’s saliva, Paolillo says. When cats lick themselves, the microscopic protein attaches and dries onto their hair and skin. Dander can be a part of dandruff. 

Cat Dandruff vs. Flea Eggs

Both dandruff and flea eggs are tiny and white. But flea eggs are smooth and oval-shaped, and usually don’t tend to accumulate on cats (flea eggs typically fall off within a few hours). Dandruff, on the other hand, tends to stick to and stay in the hair. So if you’re seeing white flakes on your cat, it’s most likely dandruff.

RyersonClark / Getty

Cat Dandruff Treatments

To help get rid of your cat’s dandruff, Paolillo says as long as your cat sees the vet on a regular basis and has no underlying health problems, a bath with a gentle cat shampoo should do the trick. Bathe your cat every month or two to help wash away the excess oily skin. Doing it regularly will usually be enough to keep a cat’s skin in good shape.

If your cat hates taking baths, you may be tempted to try a product that doesn’t require a trip to the tub. But Paolillo says she doesn’t recommend wipes or waterless shampoos “because the product stays on top of the coat and gets licked off.” But if giving your cat a bath at home is simply out of the question, “take them to a groomer that works with cats,” Paolillo says.

Home Remedies for Cat Dandruff  

In addition to regular bathing with a gentle shampoo made for cats, there are a few other steps you can take at home to promote healthy skin and reduce dandruff. The ASPCA recommends brushing your cat a couple of times a week, especially as your feline friend grows older, to help remove dead skin cells and increase blood flow. 

“Doing things to improve the overall health of your cat can make a difference in the skin and coat,” Paolillo says. For example, feed your cat a high-quality food. The experts at the Cornell Feline Health Center recommend finding a cat food that lists meat or seafood (or meat byproducts), within the first three ingredients. You can also encourage your kitty to drink more water to stay hydrated.  

Typically, cat dandruff isn’t something to worry about and is easily treatable at home. However, if you notice other issues with your cat’s skin or coat—like dull hair, excessive licking or scratching, or something resembling a rash—see your vet in order to rule out anything more serious.

You can save 25% on your pet's veterinary care. Learn more >

This is a bothersome disorder, not often a serious one, but it does require medical attention.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Bookmark

Cat dandruff is a skin condition characterized by dry, itchy, flaky skin. This is unknowingly common to most cats. Dandruff appears like white specks on the skin causing it to be dry and itchy. A lack of omega 3 fatty acid in a feline's diet can lead to this poor state of the skin. Another cause of dandruff in cats may be caused by extreme loss of skin moisture and natural oils.

Cat dandruff is a lot like human dandruff; it is the skin scaling off because it is dry. It is a bothersome disorder, but not often a serious one. It could also indicate that there is something else wrong with the cat. The thing that owners of cats with dandruff should be wary most of is that if the cat is scratching too much, that behavior could further damage the skin and cause open sores which could become infected. This is especially true with outdoor cats, where the environment is far less clean.

Three Major Factors of Cat Dandruff:

1. Cats may be infected with parasites leading to the flakiness of the skin. During a hot summer, overexposure to the heat may result in the cat’s skin becoming extremely dry.
   
2. Obesity is also another factor causing dandruff in cats. The dry, flaky skin is evident in the base of the tail or in the lower back because overweight cats find it hard to reach these areas when they clean their furs.
   
3. The third contributing factor to this health condition is the use of cat dandruff shampoo. Cats produce natural oils in their skin which, when bathed too often, is removed, causing the dryness of their skin. If the cat’s fur and skin is not rinsed well, the small amount of shampoo that is left on their skin forms into white specks of dandruff.

Things to Avoid

While most treatments and medications will address the cause of the dandruff, the itching and discomfort caused by it will not go away until the cause of the dandruff is completely eliminated, and that could take some time. There are also several things that you should take note of because these will make the dandruff worse:

1. Raise the humidity in the house. Dry air will aggravate the cat’s dandruff, and it is also a cause for brittle and dry hair on your cat. During this period when your cat has dandruff, and he needs grooming, do not use a blow dryer because the added heat will irritate the skin more.
   
2. Do not let the cat out in the heat, for the same reasons stated above. Wait until the late afternoon to let him out, when the sun’s heat has already dissipated.
   
3. Keep the cat comfortable with topical applications that will get rid of the itchiness. It will relieve his discomfort and lessen the chance that he will scratch.

These are just a few things to keep in mind while taking care of your cat when he has dandruff. If the veterinarian has prescribed medication to get rid of the cause of dandruff, make sure that you follow their instructions exactly, in order to give your cat the best chance for a speedy recovery. You may also want to ask your veterinarian for something that will help make the cat more comfortable.

Cat dandruff may not be a serious disorder, but that doesn’t mean that it should not be addressed. Every responsible pet owner knows that anything that could cause your pet harm and discomfort has a way of getting worse if you do not address it properly.