If your vet confirms that the underlying cause of your cat’s dandruff is no cause for concern, you can try treating his condition at home. Here are four cat dandruff home remedies you can try on your cat.
4 cat dandruff home remedies
Cat dandruff can be caused by a few different factors. And unless your cat’s dandruff is caused by a serious condition like diabetes, you can attempt to treat his dandruff at home. Emphasis should be on attempt because not all cases of dandruff respond to the treatments that are listed here. Sometimes, the best that you can do is let your cat’s dandruff be if it does not bother him much.
1. Buy a humidifier
Sometimes, dry air can cause skin problems in cats, including dandruff. With little to no moisture in the air, your pet’s skin can become dry. Usually, dandruff flare-ups occur during the cooler months.
One of the simplest ways to treat and prevent cat dandruff is to use a humidifier. This device can add moisture in an indoor environment. At the same time, the humidifier can help people with allergies by reducing allergic symptoms and boosting mucous membrane health.
The humidifier you should buy does not necessarily have to be big. Even a small one will do as long as you place it near your pet so that he can reap its benefits.
2. Switch to a different brand of cat food
Poor quality food filled with fillers deprives your cat of the essential nutrients his skin and body needs. One critical nutrient that cats need is Omega-3 fatty acids.
If you have been scrimping on your cat’s food by buying a cheaper, low-quality brand, your pet can end up suffering from your poor choice of food. Because these brands contain more fillers than actual nutrients, you end spending more by treating the nutritional deficiencies of your cat.
But even if your cat’s brand of food is filled with essential nutrients, you might also want to switch to another brand especially if his current one is causing food allergies.
Switching to another brand of cat food that uses a different protein source can possibly remedy your pet’s food allergy.
On the other hand, if your cat eats dry food exclusively, you might want to consider using a fish oil supplement to compensate for the small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in his current diet.
A fish oil supplement can provide your pet with the essential oils his skin and body needs without going through the hassle of transitioning your cat to a different brand of food. Plus, your pet will be less likely to have an upset tummy.
If you intend to use a fish oil supplement for your cat, choose one that is in liquid form so that you can add it to dry kibble.
3. Encourage your cat to drink more water
Your cat’s ancestors did not drink much water. Apart from living in an arid environment, these wild cats got moisture from their prey. Today, most domestic cats drink less water than they ought to. This aversion to drinking enough water can lead to medical problems, from dehydration to dandruff.
If you feed your cat with wet food, he can fulfill about half of his daily water requirements. For the other half, you will need to employ different tactics to coax your pet to drink more.
These tactics include using a pet water fountain, adding a touch of flavor to his water, and placing ice cubes in your cat’s drinking bowl.
3. Help your cat groom
Sometimes, dandruff is caused by your cat’s inability to groom himself. For example, if you have a senior cat, he may not be able to reach certain parts of his body because he is suffering from arthritis. In turn, this condition can prevent him from grooming his entire body.
To help your cat compensate for his deficiencies, you can attempt to give him a bath. Although cats do not need to bathe regularly because of their fastidious nature, bathing can help cure his dandruff. Be sure to use a suitable pet shampoo to remove dandruff and moisturize his skin.
If your cat is averse to bathing or if you do not want to risk getting bit and scratched, you can just brush your pet’s coat regularly. Brushing helps remove dandruff flakes while stimulating the proper flow of blood. With optimal blood flow, your cat’s skin can regain its former health.
What to do if these cat dandruff remedies do not work
Cat dandruff can also be caused by the overproduction of oil by the sebaceous glands. When the skin becomes too oily, it becomes itchy and soon begins to flake.
The overproduction of the oil glands can be triggered by a variety of causes, including allergies, hyperthyroidism, fungal infections, and parasites.
As such, the best course of action is to treat the underlying cause of dandruff. However, there are instances wherein a case of dandruff is unresponsive to treatment.
In such a case, your next best option is to accept that you cannot do anything but let things be. As long as your pet is otherwise healthy, dandruff can only be a minor inconvenience that your cat can live with.
What is cat dandruff?
Cat dandruff is dry and dead skin cells, the cause of which can vary. Usually, the skin becomes too dry that it becomes itchy or scaly.
Take note that dandruff is different from dander. Dander is a combination of dead skin cells and cat saliva left after a cat grooms himself.
Dandruff is also different from walking dandruff. Walking dandruff or cheyletiellosis refers to the infestation of mites known as the Cheyletiella. These mites look like dandruff walking on the fur and skin of an infected cat.
The mites do not burrow beneath a cat’s skin. They prefer to stay on the surface of the skin but can sometimes wander to the nose of the affected cat. Cheyletiella can also induce dandruff as well as other symptoms like hair loss, sneezing, itchiness, scabs, and bumps on the skin.
Final thoughts
If you attempt to treat your cat with these methods and none seem to work, don’t be too hard on yourself. Vets understand that sometimes, cat dandruff cannot be treated. Just be happy with the idea that you have done everything that you can and that your pet is otherwise healthy.
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