Dandruff in cats on the back and near the tail: causes and treatment, what to do?

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Sometimes the owner, showing affection to his furry pet, notices that real dandruff has appeared in the cat’s fur. For many, this will be an unpleasant surprise, especially if the animal’s hygiene is observed according to all the rules. Dandruff in a cat looks the same as in humans - the top layer of skin gradually dies, and the scales flake off from the surface of the skin at a certain speed. Sometimes it happens that an excessive amount of dead cells is formed, then white skin particles appear on the fur, and the pet’s appearance becomes unkempt.

Can cats have dandruff?

Many people are surprised when they hear that cats have dandruff. But if we think based on physiology, then this is a completely common, although not frequent, phenomenon. The processes of skin renewal are constant, and old skin flakes need somewhere to go and they get stuck in the cat’s thick coat. The layer of particles on the wool can be dry or oily. The root cause of the sebaceous layer is often seborrhea.

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If the dead horny layer looks like crumbled flour or even snow, then they talk about the dry variety, and with the oily type, the hairs at the base look stuck together and greasy. The type of disease depends on the individual characteristics of each pet’s body.

For some owners, this can be dangerous due to an allergy to cat dander, since a lot of cat saliva remains in the matted fur.

Signs of trichophytosis

Perhaps the most severe type of mycosis of the scalp is in the hair growth area, as a result of which the patient loses hair. Differentiate between superficial and deep forms.

With superficial trichophytosis, you can first detect flaky lesions and brittle hair at the base of the follicles, as a result of which the scalp is covered with black dots. On the remainder of the hair after breaking, you can notice a gray coating. The affected areas may become red, itchy, and swollen.

The deep form manifests itself as general malaise, hyperthermia; an infected person may notice swelling and tenderness of the lymph nodes, and a rash. Pink-red spots can be found on the scalp, rising above the surface of the epidermis. They have clear contours and a round shape. The most abundant peeling is observed along the contour of the spot. Less commonly, vesicles (bubbles with liquid) can form along the contour. Such lesions spread quite quickly, which is highly likely to lead to an abscess.

Causes of dandruff in cats

There are external and internal reasons for the appearance of particles of dead skin in an animal's fur, which explain why the skin looks untidy.

Internal reasons:

• fungal skin diseases inhibit healthy cells and contribute to their death and exfoliation;
• skin parasites such as fleas, ticks, lice eaters. With their vital activity, they cause itching in the cat and, as a result, scratching from the claws exfoliates skin particles even more;
• diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract and others;
• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• disturbances at the hormonal level;
• disorders of the thyroid gland;
• diabetes;
• allergic reaction of cats to food or environmental factors;
• stress, fear, fears;
• reaction to certain medications. There are products that promote excessive dry skin. Shampoos that are not suitable for cats can have the same effect;
• dietary errors and lack of fatty acids in the diet;
• excess weight does not allow the pet to fully care for its fur coat in the back and tail area, so dandruff is often noticeable there.

External causes of dandruff include improper care of the pet: lovers of cat baths may one day be surprised to notice that “snow” is falling from the cat’s fur, or, on the contrary, sticky, unkempt fur has appeared behind the ears and on the back. If you are allergic to the shampoo, this will also be clear from the crumbling skin particles.

Dry air will affect the condition of the coat. If your home is excessively dry, this will soon affect your pet's skin. Sunburn will also make itself felt. No matter how old the animal is, dandruff can easily occur in both an old cat and a tiny kitten.

Self-diagnosis

If you are unable to visit a doctor immediately, you can determine for yourself what caused the dandruff. Sometimes this is easy to understand by characteristic signs:

• light yellow scales - the cause is an allergic reaction, sunburn, or there are problems with internal organs;
• black scales - indicate an infection in the body, a fungal infection, a parasitic infection;
• dandruff collects near the tail - a sign of burns from prolonged exposure to the sun, fungus, and is also provoked by excess weight and insufficient hygiene;
• dandruff collects near the tail and lower back - a signal for the treatment of helminthiasis and joint diseases;
• dandruff, which alternately leaves tracks on the paws, face and back, is a symptom of subcutaneous mites.

If self-diagnosis is difficult, you doubt your diagnosis, or there are other warning signs besides dandruff, be sure to take your animal to the veterinarian! Only he will be able to correctly determine what causes dandruff and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Dandruff on a cat's back near the tail

Such a phenomenon as bran from dead skin on the body of a pet can appear near the tail. Sometimes the cat's heavy weight is cited as the reason - he is simply not able to clean the fur in this area. , tail dandruff only bothers the owner, but if the problem is not solved, then in addition to the unpleasant odor from the animal’s skin, hair loss in this area may begin.

Dandruff on a cat's back can be either dry or oily. The color of the scales does not depend on the color of the fur coat: the particles are gray, white and yellowish. If the color of the dead particles is black, this indicates parasites or fungal diseases in the cat. In any case, the first thing you should do is visit a veterinarian and get blood tests and cultures for the pathogen.

Internal reasons

Internal factors include:

• hormonal imbalances;
• allergic reactions;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• stress;
• excess weight;
• unbalanced diet;
• diabetes.

All these factors can lead to skin lesions, as a result of which the epidermis exfoliates too actively and dandruff appears.

Treating a cat for dandruff

To rid your pet of bran, you need to determine the reason that caused the increased exfoliation of dead skin particles. A small kitten can be very depressed by itching, so the investigation should not be delayed. You will probably have to deal with this for quite a long time: for example, if the cause is dry air in the apartment, then the problem requires a global solution.

Before going to a specialist with a question about how to treat dandruff in a cat , you can independently eliminate the cause of the phenomenon. Negative factors such as improper diet, inappropriate shampoo, and dry air can be easily corrected by owners without the intervention of a veterinarian, and additional drug treatment for back dandruff is not required.

It's worth asking yourself if your cat had something new in her diet after which dandruff was noticed. You can cure the attack by simply excluding the product from the menu.

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If shortly before the “snowfall” the pet was given some kind of medicine from skin particles, this must be mentioned to the veterinarian during the examination. The doctor is even informed about procedures such as grooming performed in the salon and the latest treatment for parasites.

If it was not possible to eliminate the disease, then you should not try to become a veterinarian at home without special education: the doctor is much better able to detect a disorder in the cat’s body and prescribe appropriate effective treatment.

Anti-dandruff shampoo for cats

The first thing you should try after adjusting your diet is anti-dandruff shampoo. Such products function as antifungal, antibacterial and normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands. The main active ingredients are zinc and salicylic acid. Thanks to their effect, the upper layer of skin is regenerated and wounds heal.

The most famous shampoo can be called a product called “Doctor” from TD Goodman. The advantages of the drug include the elimination of unpleasant odor, itching and allergic reactions. The shampoo is easy to foam and rinse off without leaving any residue, leaving the coat looking silky and shiny. If you want to get rid of skin flakes at once, then you should not hope for this - a noticeable effect is achieved in several applications over a long time.

Apply the shampoo to the coat and do not rinse off for 3-5 minutes. At this time, you should distract your pet and not let her try to lick the product.

It would be good if you consult a specialist before using the drug described above.

Professional-level shampoo from Anju Beauté is called super-cleansing. Its action is aimed at normalizing the functioning of the sebaceous glands, as a result the skin is degreased, the secretion of the sebaceous glands is reduced, and the coat itself is moisturized.

The composition contains nettle extract - the cat's coat will grow faster and look much neater and more beautiful.

The product is very economical - for washing it is used in a ratio of 1 to 5 with water.

Vitamins for cats against dandruff

In case of seborrheic revelry on the skin, a vitamin course will not be superfluous:

• Cat Felltop Gel with biotin and zinc is great for skin problems;
• Cat – Fell OK (Canina) – vitamin and mineral complex with an unlimited course of administration;
• Laveta Super for Cats (Beaphar) - thanks to vitamins B, E, biotin and taurine, the coat will become healthy and shiny.
• Derm Caps and Derm Liquid is an effective vitamin complex from German developers and is aimed at restoring the skin and improving the health of the coat;

Even the best vitamin complexes will not be able to help if the true cause of dandruff is not eliminated.

Anti-dandruff spray for cats

To treat dandruff in cats, you can use medicated sprays like Tropiclean Oxy-Med. This is a natural remedy with colloidal oatmeal, wheat germ proteins, vitamins B5 and E, and salicylic acid. All substances actively act on the affected area, healing both the skin and coat. Swelling is noticeably reduced and itching is eliminated, and the activity of the sebaceous glands is regulated.

Hair loss after coronavirus – frequency and causes

• According to international studies, hair loss after coronavirus is observed in 24% of patients; this reaction is considered a late complication of coronavirus infection.
• It has been reliably established that the virus itself does not affect hair follicles. Premature cessation of the growth phase (anagen) and the entry of hair follicles into the telogen stage is caused by:
• - intoxication, inflammation against the background of an infectious process
• -hyperthermia above 38.5 degrees (even a short-term increase in body temperature above these values ​​disrupts the normal hair growth cycle)
• - microthrombosis and, as a result, disruption of microcirculation of the scalp
• -drug therapy for COVID-19, namely taking drugs such as Plaquenil (INN - hydroxychloroquine), immunomodulators and antivirals (Ingavirin, Polyoxidonium, Arbidol, Tamiflu, etc.) and antibiotics; 50% of patients take anticoagulants, as well as immunosuppressants (tocilizumab)
• -psycho-emotional stress that patients experience when the diagnosis is confirmed, layered with depression, anxiety disorder during the quarantine period.

Complications

Fatty particles of dead epithelium are noticeable in the highly shiny coat. And if you don’t look for the reason, the animal’s appearance will be neglected and unkempt. This disease signals problems in the body: leukemia virus, systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic liver disease, drug rash.

An untreated disease also leads to hair loss.

Seborrhea, as a cause of skin peeling, can easily be transmitted from one cat to another, which will also not make owners happy. Therefore, there is no place for thinking here - treat and treat again.

Black dandruff in cats

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If the dandruff suddenly turns out to be black, and the color of the animal is also black, you should not calm down, this is not the norm. Particles of peeling skin can be light gray, cream, white, but if they are black, then there is a fungal disease or the presence of parasites in the body.

The cat has dandruff and hair loss

Yesterday my cat was diagnosed with dandruff, and today we noticed that she was shedding a lot of hair - yes, this happens. A cat with dandruff sheds much more, and can even get bald spots from actively trying to scratch its itchy skin.

The veterinarian will give a conclusion whether the cause is parasites, fungus or poor nutrition. In the first two cases, adequate medications will be prescribed, and nutrition will need to be adjusted at home. If the cat ate dry food, then you will have to choose a different type of food for it.

Stray dandruff in a cat

In addition to the usual dandruff, cats also have so-called wandering dandruff, which is caused by the Cheyletiella mite. The disease itself is called cheyletiellosis. The disease, unlike the word, is completely unsightly and extremely contagious for all pets with fur. The mite calmly moves in the keratin layer of the skin, so the dandruff itself, which covers the fur in a thick layer, also moves after the mite. Cheyletiellosis in cats is not difficult to identify: the tick itself can be seen with a good magnifying glass, and the fur looks like a battlefield: there are tracks on the skin everywhere along with a thick rash of skin scales.

Treatment of cheyletiellosis begins with cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, or better yet, with a steam generator, all the nooks and crannies of the home, with washing all bedding, rugs, and carriers. Then the cat begins to be bathed daily using sulfur-based preparations and even includes standard insecticides in the treatment.

Long-haired sufferers are recommended to have their hair cut for a speedy recovery.

Prevention of dandruff in cats

Although the phrase “it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it” set everyone’s teeth on edge, it remained and will always remain the most faithful advice. The first thing you should do not only for your pet, but also for your own health is to think about the optimal level of air humidity in the apartment. Along with maintaining the humidity level, do not forget about the animal’s constant access to clean, fresh water.

To prevent the formation of creepy-looking, untidy tangles on the fur, clogged with particles of dead skin, the cat is washed with high-quality shampoo in warm, not hot water.

Of course, the presence of parasites in the cat’s life, both inside the body and on the fur, is unacceptable.

For those owners whose cats have access to walking, the advice will be relevant to avoid allowing your pet to stay in the sun for long periods of time.

It remains to add a recommendation for proper nutrition of the purr and the care of the owner, preventing possible stress.