Dandruff in cats, the causes and treatment of this ailment should cause the owner a keen interest. Leaving everything "on its own" can not be done, because such a small, at first glance, problem can indicate serious internal diseases, allergies or the presence of parasites. Normally, dandruff can not be considered, even if you think that it does not cause the pet any inconvenience.
Dandruff in a cat - reasons
Dandruff is the exfoliated scales of the upper layer of the skin. Some of its manifestations may go unnoticed, but when dandruff becomes massive, it is already a warning signal, and can be a reaction to external factors (dry air, frequent bathing , improper care) or a symptom of various diseases:
- External factors of dandruff:
- fungus - after contact with the skin of the pet, it causes harmful processes in its cells and their subsequent detachment;
- dermal parasites - mites, fleas, withers and other insects and their products of vital activity often cause irritation of the skin, necrosis of its upper epithelium, itching, sloughing of dead skin cells;
- sunburn - an overabundance of ultraviolet causes active death of epithelial cells and the appearance of dandruff, mainly in the back area.
- metabolic disorders - can result from improper diet, imbalance in nutrition, lack of minerals and vitamins, fatty acids;
- allergy - when the allergen hits (pollen, medicinal product, feed, care products, etc.), the appearance of dandruff is often observed in the body as one of the manifestations of an allergic reaction;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract , urinary system, failure in the hormonal system, stress, thyroid problems, excess weight - all this can manifest as dandruff (among other symptoms).
To accurately determine the cause and prescribe the treatment, the veterinarian of the clinic assigns an analysis for cat dander (scraping, skin cytology), as well as a number of other studies:
- general blood analysis and biochemistry;
- skin biopsy;
- seeding on a nutrient medium to identify the fungus or bacteria.
- analysis for hormones.
White dandruff in a cat
Often dandruff has a white or slightly yellowish tinge. It can be dry or oily. More precisely, you can determine this by simply running your hand against the animal's fur: if dandruff crumbles, like flour - it's dry. Oily seborrhea looks like glued together areas of hair on the back and behind the ears of the cat, on the whole, the sebaceous state of the coat is observed. With the movement of the hand, do not shake such dandruff - it remains under your nails when you scratch the cat. The reason why a cat has dandruff in wool in this case may be allergies, internal disorders and sunburn.
Black dandruff in cats
If the cat has black dandruff, this indicates the presence of parasites, fungus or acne (acne and acne). For a more accurate definition of acne, you need to make sure that the black scales are not traces of the vital activity (feces) of the parasites. To do this, you need to examine the skin of the animal - the eels are firmly "sitting" inside the pores and they can not be blown off. As a rule, they are localized in the area of the chin and corners of the lips.
Traces of fleas and withers are visible throughout the area of the cat's "fur coat" and they are not deflated. If you see that acne is located not only on the muzzle, but also on the hips, around the anus, on the elbows, and between the fingers, be sure to see a veterinarian. Moreover, when they are already seen as uneasy as separate points, and a scattering of crusts and comedones.
Dandruff in a cat on the back
Here are the main reasons why a cat has dandruff on its back:
- Microsporia , that is, a fungus of a specific type of Microsporum. The disease, better known as ringworm. Very contagious, transmitted by direct contact of a sick animal with a healthy one.
- Sunburn. The death of skin cells in this case occurs mainly in the region of the back.
- Excess weight and obesity . For a fat cat, the back becomes a hard-to-reach place, and caring for it becomes almost impossible.
The cat has dandruff near the tail
The back of the animal's body (croup, loin, tail root) is the areas with the highest concentration of sebaceous glands. Here seborrhea manifests itself earlier than on other parts of the body. It becomes especially noticeable if the cat has diseases of the musculoskeletal system or excess weight, because of which care in hard-to-reach places near the tail becomes difficult. The main reasons why the cat has dandruff localized at the tail is malnutrition, the presence of worms, a deep stage of microsporia, dermatomycosis (fungal disease).
Wandering dandruff in a cat
Dandruff in cats, causes and treatment can be much more unpleasant and complex. For example, when it is caused by a subcutaneous tick of the cheilitella. This parasitic disease is caused by one of the subspecies of the tick: Cheyletiella blakei, Cheyletiella yasguri or Cheyletiella parasitivorax. The peculiarity of dandruff in this case is its stirring, because of what it got its name (wandering). The reason for this phenomenon is the movement of ticks under the scales.
The reason why a cat has dandruff is explained by the active vital activity of subcutaneous mites. On the skin from them there is irritation, mainly along the back. It starts to bother the itch, hair loss and dandruff are observed, sometimes the skin thickens in the cat. Often you may not notice the external signs of cheilititis for a long time, as the animal removes most of the scales and even the mites during the licking process.
The cat has dandruff and hair falls out
When a cat crawls its hair and dandruff becomes abundant and noticeable, this can be a sign of the following diseases:
- Lishay as a result of infection with fungus or subcutaneous mites. Symptoms of the disease - itching, hair loss in large areas, dry skin, dandruff.
- Seborrhea also manifests itself as a partial loss of hair and balding areas, accompanied by dry skin and dandruff.
- Adenitis is a hereditary skin disease manifested in adolescence or in the elderly of an animal. Symptoms of the disease - the formation of rounded bald spots, dandruff, an unpleasant smell in the affected areas.
How to treat dandruff in a cat?
Dandruff in cats, the causes and treatment of it should be determined by competent veterinarians. The remedy for dandruff for cats they select individually after carrying out all necessary tests and clarifying the diagnosis. In addition to the examination, the doctor will ask the owner about the degree of activity of the animal, its eating habits, age. Sometimes to get rid of the symptoms of chronic dandruff you just need to revise the diet. In general, all funds are divided into external (shampoos, etc.) and internal (vitamins, medications).
Shampoo for dandruff for cats
When the problem is purely external, without diseases of the internal organs, and the cat has dandruff on its back, the first thing to do is to bathe it with a good cat shampoo for dandruff. As a rule, it includes a complex of active substances from fungi and bacteria, deeply cleansing ingredients, anti-inflammatory substances and exfoliating additives. You can also use one of the folk remedies for rinsing - a decoction of the root of burdock and calendula flowers, sea-buckthorn berries and nettles, calamus and coltsfoot.
The most popular and effective shampoos for dandruff for cats:
- Beaphar (Holland) - shampoo for dandruff for cats and dogs;
- zooshampoo "Doctor";
- Anju Beauté is a super-cleansing dandruff shampoo with white nettles.
Vitamins for cats from dandruff
To the question of how to remove dandruff from a cat, it would be reasonable to approach it in terms of strengthening immunity and introducing nutritional supplements into the diet. Probably, dandruff was a consequence of the unbalanced nutrition of the cat and the lack of useful substances in her body. More important than all others, vitamin A - it just ensures the normal condition of the animal's skin and the health of the hairline. Before you start giving the cat a complex of vitamins and supplements, trying to defeat dandruff in cats, you need to clarify the cause and treatment of the veterinarian.
Vitamin complexes for improving the condition of the cat's fur:
- "Sherstevit" - a vitamin complex for excellent wool in cats and dogs;
- "Farmavit NEO" - a vitamin complex for the perfection of the fur of cats;
- Beaphar - multivitamins for wool;
- "Phytomines VEDA" - an excellent addition to the cat's diet.