Skin problems, tips?

My 11-year-old cat Hester seems to have terrible skin all of a sudden. Her skin is so dry and flaky with dandruff all over, she's been over-grooming and has thin spots on her back, stomach, arms, and the base of her tail. She also has an outbreak of acne on her chin. The vet said it could be parasites or allergies, but she's been treated for all possible parasites and her food hasn't changed. He also said it could be because we live in a very dry climate. Anything else it could be? Any tests I should ask for? If it is just dry skin, what do I do?

It could be a food allergy or sensitivity. Sometimes cats will do fine on a food for years before they develop an allergy or sensitivity to something in the food. Pet food companies often tweak their ingredients and where they source ingredients from and don't always let pet owners know about the change. Cats can be allergic / sensitive to grains, specific proteins, eggs, and other ingredients.

You can ask your vet about food allergies / sensitivity. I think there is a test that can be done. There are commerical brands of limited ingredients diets for cats with food allergies and sensivities if you don't want to feed prescription food.

Using a humidifier can help with dry skin.

Same here. I have a black cat & can see the dry skin on her back near her tail. I wondered if bathing them in coconut oil would help or adding some kind of supplement, I was told to add flaxseed oil to their food. I then read that cats can't digest plant based oils so I guess salmon or sardine or any kind of fish oil would probably help. Your kitty will probably like it too!

I've also noticed that when my cats eat a lot of beef, their skin gets drier, don't ask my why, it's just something I've noticed. I live in Southern CA & when the days are super dry I do turn the humidifier on, can't tell if it helps the kitties but it helps me breathe better.

Also, about the acne, my one cat had it, bad. I had to clean the area with peroxide as much as I could because it would fester & get all gross. I also took a flea comb, cause the lines are so close together & brushed her chin. I always used to feed on porcelain plates & of course I'd get a new one each meal, when I switched to paper plates, it went away. She hasn't had any black dots on her chin at all. It has to do with the way they eat I think.

I will start her on an exclusion diet and see how that goes.