Dandruff?!

Hi,

So, Luna has for a while had some dandruff on the tail-end 1/2 of her back. I'd heard that better quality food reduces dandruff and I'm feeding her Merrick food. However, it's still there....I brush her occasionally, though not very often b/c she doesn't like it and she's a short hair, though that doesn't seem to remove it either. I don't give her baths, but sometimes use those bath wipes on her. Again, not very often b/c she's not stinky (Like Shermie) and she doesn't like it.
It doesn't seem to bother her, she doesn't seem to be overly itchy or anything. It is kinda gross, so I'm just writing to ask:

Is dandruff OK? Is there some way to get rid of the dandruff? Will it be bad for Luna? Should I start using Selsun Blue? (Don't wear gray without the blue...) Haha, I watch too much TV!

NO dont use selsun blue

Dandruff is often a sign of something not right ... usually it is food .. IS it possible the food has something she is allergic too??? Is it better or worse or the same as the last food ?? has she eaten it for at least 8 weeks

it seems to be the same as always. I did have to switch her food for a week (to Nutro Max Cat) because the pet store was out of the stuff I normally give her. But yes, she had been eating the same food for several months. I also give her Greenies treats and dehydrated shrimp treats randomly/infrequently. I have not noticed a significant change in the amount of dandruff at any time though.

feline greenies... do they still have wheat?

hmm...I'll have to check about the Greenies. How can I find out what she's allergic to? Are there things that cats are typically allergic to? I'm guessing wheat is one...

most common wheat FISH( yeah big catagory ) SOY

My foster cat has dandruff also. She eats California Natural Chicken and Rice which doesn't have a lot of junk in it. Do you think it is the chicken or rice?

Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

My foster cat has dandruff also. She eats California Natural Chicken and Rice which doesn't have a lot of junk in it. Do you think it is the chicken or rice?

Click to expand...

Cal Natural has added two ingrediats to the new version... rosemary and white rice\\

either can be an issue... RICE over chicken IMHO

some cats just needed higher than ave fatty acids also ... adding salmon oil is a easy way to add in

Originally Posted by sharky

Cal Natural has added two ingrediats to the new version... rosemary and white rice\\

either can be an issue... RICE over chicken IMHO

some cats just needed higher than ave fatty acids also ... adding salmon oil is a easy way to add in

Click to expand...

She had the dandruff before the formula change, has had it all along. Maybe the brown rice is a problem? I have tried the salmon oil. The only way to get it down her.... is to force it down, which is traumatic on both of us so I quit trying.

Should I try switching to a grain-free? If so, what is one with simple ingredients, or one without much fish?

SORRY for the hyjack

http://thecatsite.com/forums/showthr...ht=grain+frees

pinnalcle and raw instict might qualify as simple ... most grain frees have 2 to 5 meats

PM me ... i will think

Other than food, how's the humidity level in your home? The reason I ask is that my kitties had what appeared to be dandruff on their backs right near their tails, and I couldn't figure it out. In all other respects, they seemed fine. Took one in for a check-up, and vet mentioned it might be the dry air of the heating season - just like so many of us get dry, itchy skin during the winter. Got my humidifier adjusted and, voila, no dandruff, Weird, huh?

Originally Posted by darlili

Other than food, how's the humidity level in your home? The reason I ask is that my kitties had what appeared to be dandruff on their backs right near their tails, and I couldn't figure it out. In all other respects, they seemed fine. Took one in for a check-up, and vet mentioned it might be the dry air of the heating season - just like so many of us get dry, itchy skin during the winter. Got my humidifier adjusted and, voila, no dandruff, Weird, huh?

Click to expand...

Dry. Dry Dry Dry! I have a humidifier in the basement, which is my bedroom, but the rest of the house is super dry. I live in Colorado so...yeah...dry =)

That's what struck me odd about my kitties' dandruff - during the summer and fall, they'd been nice and glossy with prettier hair than mine, then as it got colder there were those darn flakes! Food hadn't changed, nothing that I could think of.

I have a whole house humidifier, but something was askew - once I had the HVAC guy come out for the furnace check, the humidifier started working right and the flakes went away.