TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Cat Health › my black cat has white flakes on its back constant shedding plus...
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

my black cat has white flakes on its back constant shedding plus...

post #1 of 19
5/16/11 at 8:10pm
Thread Starter 
intense sensitivity when i touch the area. her coat is usually very nice and shiny and absolutely flawless but lately shes been getting white flakes and shedding constantly all on her back and especially around the tail area. i was wondering if any of you could tell me whats going on with her. oh, im new here by the way and my cats name is niziriyia. nice to meet you all.
Reply
post #2 of 19
5/16/11 at 8:38pm
Welcome to TCS!

Sounds like dandruff to me. All my cats have had it; but it's more noticeable on my tuxedo. Do you have a comb/brush for her? It's that time of year for shedding around here and I notice the dandruff is always worse while she's shedding. I've heard of breaking open a fish oil capsule over their food to help that; but not sure how effective it is.

I find a flea comb is good for getting some of the dandruff out; but the best brush I have ever found is the Furminator. It's also the most expensive; but man I get whole kittens off my girls when I brush them with that!!
Reply
post #3 of 19
5/16/11 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 
thankyou. i was so worried she had some type of virus. shes shed before but never like this like her coat is usually so glossy and prestine to the point that one time a guest at my house had actually asked me if i oiled her up. i will definitely try the fish oil stuff.
Reply
post #4 of 19
5/16/11 at 10:04pm
If she's sensitive back there, she may have fleas. Some cats will get an extreme allergic reaction to even one flea bite.

Has he diet been changed at all recently?
Reply
post #5 of 19
5/16/11 at 11:31pm
Thread Starter 
she had flees at one point but they seemed to be gone. i havent really changed her diet.
Reply
post #6 of 19
5/17/11 at 1:13am
My Sophie has that, or l should say did have it until l recently changed their kibble. I put them onto Royal Canin skin and fur kibbles about 2 month's ago and it's cleared up perfectly
Reply
post #7 of 19
5/18/11 at 3:28am
Has she lost any weight recently?

Try giving her coat supplements along with her normal food, it should help a lot.
Reply
post #8 of 19
5/19/11 at 6:40am
The sensitivity says it's either some kind of dry skin or perhaps fleas. I don't know what part of the country you live in but I'm still running the heat now and then because of the weather. Normally I use Nutro Max dry as their kibble but when I notice dry flakes I will switch them to Nutro Natural Choice Indoor formula which usually clears up any of the skin problems I notice. If you have not or do not want to switch niziriyia's food, there are supplements out there for skin and coat that should really help clear it up.
Reply
post #9 of 19
5/21/11 at 2:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Has she lost any weight recently?

Try giving her coat supplements along with her normal food, it should help a lot.
she was spayed not too long ago. infact shes gained an enormous ammount of weight since being spayed.
Reply
post #10 of 19
5/21/11 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by NutroMike View Post
The sensitivity says it's either some kind of dry skin or perhaps fleas. I don't know what part of the country you live in but I'm still running the heat now and then because of the weather. Normally I use Nutro Max dry as their kibble but when I notice dry flakes I will switch them to Nutro Natural Choice Indoor formula which usually clears up any of the skin problems I notice. If you have not or do not want to switch niziriyia's food, there are supplements out there for skin and coat that should really help clear it up.
would it be safe if i applied apple cider vinegar on her back? i hear that kills virus.
Reply
post #11 of 19
5/22/11 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindwitch View Post
she was spayed not too long ago. infact shes gained an enormous ammount of weight since being spayed.
Did you reduce the amount of food you were feeding since you spayed her? An spayed cat needs half the calories an unspayed cat needs. Have you tested her for thyroid issues?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindwitch View Post
would it be safe if i applied apple cider vinegar on her back? i hear that kills virus.
No... dry skin and fleas are not related to viruses, she needs to be (professionally) bathed and brushed and if the dry skin continues, seen by a vet.
Reply
post #12 of 19
5/25/11 at 8:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindwitch View Post
would it be safe if i applied apple cider vinegar on her back? i hear that kills virus.
I would not do that. Actually I'd never do that for any reason. I don't know if vinegar kills virus but it can't be good for the cat's skin IMO. I'm not a chemist but I am a cook and vinegar is acidic. If this condition continues or gets worse you might want to take her to the vet. The vet might suggest a professional bathing or perhaps a supplement for the skin and coat. I would not let this go for too long. It does not sound like some kind of skin mite but I'd let the vet look at it. Post an update if you get time.
Reply
post #13 of 19
5/25/11 at 11:06am
One of my black cats also have dandruff and I'm having a heck of a time getting rid of it. I have to say though that it is possible that this is something more than a skin issue. Cats should have shiny, healthy coats and if that changes all of a sudden it is possible that there is an underlying physical problem. Since this is something new and out of character for her I really think a vet check up is in order just to be on the safe side. I have a cat with chronic health problems that go up and down and when he's getting worse the coat is usually the first thing to show symptoms.
It may just be a dry skin issue and adding some fish oil or salmon oil to the diet may help. I may be completely wrong about this but I'm thinking that maybe hormonal changes after the spay could contribute to it. Maybe you could ask your vet about that.

Good luck!
Reply
post #14 of 19
6/19/11 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Did you reduce the amount of food you were feeding since you spayed her? An spayed cat needs half the calories an unspayed cat needs. Have you tested her for thyroid issues?
no, i just pour food in a bowel and leave it there till she finishes the whole bowl then i add more. if i don't do that she meows insistently for food.

[quote=Minka;3069063No... dry skin and fleas are not related to viruses, she needs to be (professionally) bathed and brushed and if the dry skin continues, seen by a vet.[/QUOTE]

like by a cat groomer?




*****UPDATE


my cat seems to still have dandruff i wasn't able to find the reccomended cat foods at my local supermarket but i just changed her food to "purina cat chow for adult cats". her coat is still full of dandruff but she seems to not be AS sensitive to being touched on her back as she use to be. i will look in to purchasing some fish oil capsules. she also seems to have another problem. she stopped grooming her anal area and i've had to cut some of the hair off their because its dry and full of....well crap. the area also seems to be very sensitive to the touch because she growled and seems displeased when i cleaned that area but im not sure if thats jus the usual behaviour for cats being cleaned down there. please help. should i just simply take her to the vet?
Reply
post #15 of 19
6/19/11 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindwitch View Post
she was spayed not too long ago. infact shes gained an enormous ammount of weight since being spayed.
Here is the key - it is actually normal to happen when they gain a lot of weight... They all of the sudden can't groom the area properly, start flaking specially around the tail area - you can google this issue and you will find this... Cat dandruff around tail area. It is common for overweight cats.
Losing weight will help her... A good diet for skin and coat and fish oil will help her until she reaches her proper weight... My Girl Gracie is going through the same issue... I rescued her in November when she was skin and bones... She gained too much weight by being over medicated for thyroid meds... She is not overly obese, but overweight for sure... I was worried about the dandruff, and turns out it comes with the weight territory. I am now working on making her lose weight and grooming her more
Reply
post #16 of 19
6/20/11 at 6:21am
Thread Starter 
would i be able to put fish oil on dry food.
Reply
post #17 of 19
6/20/11 at 7:50am
It's easier to mix it with wet food, which would be better for her anyway if she's gained a lot of weight. If she will not eat wet food I'd suggest salmon oil capsules, they are quite easy to give to a cat and not as messy as the oil in liquid form. Pet stores usually have both, liquid and capsules, available.
Reply
post #18 of 19
6/20/11 at 8:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthernGlow View Post
It's easier to mix it with wet food, which would be better for her anyway if she's gained a lot of weight. If she will not eat wet food I'd suggest salmon oil capsules, they are quite easy to give to a cat and not as messy as the oil in liquid form. Pet stores usually have both, liquid and capsules, available.
Yep. I don't know if she's tried feline Pill Pockets by Greenies but the capsules will fit in them nicely, enticing the cat to eat the pill.
Reply
post #19 of 19
6/22/11 at 1:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mindwitch View Post
no, i just pour food in a bowel and leave it there till she finishes the whole bowl then i add more. if i don't do that she meows insistently for food.
Unfortunately, cats are like kids. If you keep putting out food, they will eat it all, and if it tastes good, eat even more. (Dry food for cats is the equivalent of candy to kids.) Sometimes even to the point of throwing up. You have to monitor how much you give otherwise no matter what food you buy, she will continue to gain weight, and with obesity comes other health issues.
You may need to switch her to wet if you want to stop the meowing behavior.

Quote:
like by a cat groomer?
Yes, by a cat groomer. That's the first thing I did when I adopted my 22lb cat. He looked like a brand new kitty after his bath.

Quote:
my cat seems to still have dandruff i wasn't able to find the reccomended cat foods at my local supermarket but i just changed her food to "purina cat chow for adult cats". her coat is still full of dandruff but she seems to not be AS sensitive to being touched on her back as she use to be. i will look in to purchasing some fish oil capsules. she also seems to have another problem. she stopped grooming her anal area and i've had to cut some of the hair off their because its dry and full of....well crap. the area also seems to be very sensitive to the touch because she growled and seems displeased when i cleaned that area but im not sure if thats jus the usual behaviour for cats being cleaned down there. please help. should i just simply take her to the vet?
You won't be able to find foods we recommend at a grocery store, you will either have to go to Petsmart/Petco/some other pet store, or buy online.
If she can't groom her backside at all, then she is definitely in trouble. (Unless she is a long haired cat, then that is called giving a 'potty patch.') (Oh, and my cat had that too, the groomer cleaned it all up.)
Cats do not like being touched down there, no, and taking her to the vet would allow her skin to be tested and bloodwork to be done to rule out others illnesses.

If you have not read http://www.cathealth.com/FeedNutrit.htm, I highly recommend it.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cat Health
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Cat Health › my black cat has white flakes on its back constant shedding plus...