Hey, there Feline lovers!! Is your black cat having dandruff? Don’t worry it’s normal like other cat ailments.
Black cat dandruff is as common as human dandruff, in fact, all color cats can have dandruff. There can be several causes of dandruff in felines like allergies, excess weight, dead skin, etc.
Are you concerned about the dandruff of your black cat? Is dandruff common in all color cats or just in black cats? Is it normal or something serious to take an action? Why does it happen? How to get rid of it?
Possibly these are the few questions revolving around your head. Then my friend you’re at the right place to get all your answers and solution as well.
We are here to help your charming black kitty to get rid of unwanted dandruff. Keep reading further to know more about the dandruff of black cats.
Let’s dive into the majestic world of black cats together!!
Key Takeaways
- Black cat dandruff is a common condition that affects all colors of cats.
- It can be caused by allergies, excess weight, dead skin, and other factors.
- Excess weight and old age can make dandruff more frequent in cats.
- Regular grooming, a balanced diet, and veterinarian checkups can help prevent and treat dandruff in cats.
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What Is Dandruff In Black Cats?
Black Cat dandruff or feline dandruff is a flaky skin condition in cats, mostly you’ll notice this flake in white or gray color in your cat’s skin and hair.
Though it has nothing to do with the color of your cat. In darker-shade cats, dandruff becomes more visible compared to lighter-shade cats.
Sometimes this dandruff can cause itchiness and irritation. But in most cases, this dandruff is not so serious and can be cured easily by basic care and primary medication.
It’s typical for both skin enclosures and fur to shed at the end of their growth process. But the case differs when dead cells build up due to less grooming by the cat and then these dead cells become visible as dandruff in white or gray color.
When it comes to a cat who has excess weight or is too old then this dandruff becomes more frequent, as these kitties cannot groom much.
“Many people think dandruff is just dry skin, but cats are actually oily-skinned creatures,” says Lynn Paolillo, CFMG, CFCG, an instructor at the National Cat Groomers Institute. “Dandruff is the shedding of oily, dead skin that’s accumulated over time.”
National Cat Groomers Institute
What Are The Causes Of Dandruff In Black Cats?
Cats’ skin produces oil through sebaceous glands, these oil helps cats’ skin to be nourished and moist.
Continuous exposure to the outer environment and irritants makes a cat’s skin less nourished which results in an increased number of dead cells.
These dead cells are then replaced by newer cells produced by the inner layer of the skin and this process is a constant process which is known as keratinization.
When there is any disturbance occurs in the process of keratinization then it appears as dandruff, as dead cells build up and even the sebaceous gland starts producing excess oil.
This excess oil produced by the surface of the skin becomes the reason for rash and irritation which later leads to dandruff occurring and flaking skin.
Abnormal keratinization rate also causes the proliferation of dead skin cells on the exterior of the skin and eventual dandruff building.
1. Obesity
Your black cat grooms herself on a daily basis because it is essential for its skin to stay healthy, clean, and clear. But when a cats start gaining excess weight then it becomes difficult for her to groom herself.
Obesity restricts grooming in cats and that causes an increase in dandruff build-up. Obesity isn’t just an increase in weight it even makes the cat less active, lazy, and dizzy.
2. Fungal Infection – Ringworm
Dermatophytes (a group of fungal organisms that contaminate the external layer of the skin) cause fungal infections in cats’ skin these infections are mostly ringworms.
It leads to breaking the safety covering of your black cat’s skin and allows the fungal organism to enter the inner layer and multiply more. This infection goes on, if not restricted on time.
As this fungal infection directly affects the skin that’s why it disturbs the sebaceous gland too, which results in the production of abnormal oil and keratinization.
This type of fungal infection affects the sebaceous glands, causing abnormal oil production and keratinization. With the disturbance in keratinization, dandruff starts appearing. As the infection increases itchiness and irritation increase as well.
3. Insufficient Diet
Your black cat’s look and health highly depend on what she eats. Diet is an essential role player in a cat’s skin and hair health.
Cat’s hair development needs some required components in the diet as a cat cannot produce them naturally. Well, a planned diet has all the vitamins and proteins that are required for a healthy cat.
Your black cat’s dandruff shows that you’re not providing the essential diet to your cat. Improper diet disturbs the keratinization in your cat and that leads to dandruff production.
Your black cat needs a specific amount of protein for good skin health.
4. Skin Infections
Skin infection affects hair growth and health too. Skin allergies lead to dry and flaky skin which later results in itchy and irritating skin. This dry and itchy skin easily develops dandruff more than the healthy and nourished skin of your black kitty.
5. External Skin Parasites
External parasites like lice and fleas are one of the most common causes of dandruff in your black cats.
These parasites make your cat’s skin itchy, and due to excessive scratching, they even cause wounds and broken skin, and sometimes it develops more saliva allergies too – these are sufficient reasons for dandruff build up on the outer layer of your black cat’s skin.
In some cases, microscopic external parasites, like different kinds of mites live on the skin or in the fur of black cats and continuously harm the skin.
With time they increase their number and even harm the sebaceous gland which is a direct cause of dandruff production.
Interesting Read: Can Cats Get Fleas In The Winter?
6. Hyperthyroidism
Black Cat dandruff can be the result of hyperthyroidism, which is a hormonal disbalance in cats.
In this situation, the cat’s thyroid produces abnormal thyroid hormone, and dandruff increases with the increase in an imbalance in hormones.
Interesting Read: Why Is My Cat Hair Falling Out/Shedding In Clumps?
What Are The Symptoms Of Dandruff In Black Cats?
| Symptoms | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Dry and flaky skin | If you want to know whether your black kitty has dandruff or not, then first check her skin if it is moisturized or dry. If you feel it is dry and flaky than normal skin, then my friend it’s a dandruff alarm. |
| Itching | Dandruff can cause a cat’s skin to become dry and itchy, leading to scratching and irritation. |
| Hair Loss | If your classy black kitty will have dandruff, she must face continuous hair fall like we face when we have dandruff. A certain amount of hair shedding is normal in cats but if you noticed frequently increased fur shedding then the cause can be increased dandruff on your cat’s skin. |
| Visible white particles on the fur | In the case of black cats, it becomes easier to detect dandruff than other color cats, because dandruff mostly has a white or grey color which is easily visible on the black coats of your kitty. |
| Patches | Dandruff causes itchiness that results in excessive scratching which later forms patches on the skin of cats, that can help you to know that your black kitty needs your help to fight dandruff. |
| Odor | Dandruff can sometimes cause an unpleasant odor due to bacterial overgrowth on the skin. |
How To Get Rid Of Dandruff In Black Cats?
1. First Try To Detect The Possible Cause Of Dandruff
Before solving the problem, try to understand the problem – There can be a number of possible reasons for dandruff which we have already discussed, and the first step is to detect the cause in the case of your black cat.
Once you will know the correct reason it will be far easy to deal with it.
2. Control Excess Weight Gain
Daily grooming is too essential for your black kitty to stay clean, but as you know if she will be fat than normal it will become tough for her to groom herself.
So, if you noticed that your cat is gaining weight, then don’t wait for the worst to happen, take the action to control her increasing weight in the primary stage to avoid complications later.
Increase her playtime and physical activities so that she can easily burn some excess fat on daily basis. Adding exercise time to her routine can help her too. Give a few hours to your cat, so that you can run and play with her and that helps her to stay fit and active.
These small steps will be beneficial to reduce weight and that will automatically increase the grooming amount, and you know that the more the grooming, the less will be the dandruff build-up.
3. Keep Your Black Kitty In A Gentle Environment
Your black kitty is a social animal, and she loves staying out, and the sunlight is her best friend, but do you know it harms her skin sometimes? Excess heat and dryness cause dry and flaky skin which accelerates the dandruff appearance.
Black cats mostly have thin coats or less fluff, which means they have less security covering on their skin and that is the reason they face more sunburn than other color cats.
If you want your cat to have nourished and healthy skin then it’s a good idea to not let her stay in sun for a longer time period.
Less exposure to sun and dry weather will make sure that your cat will have healthier and more moist skin and less dandruff production.
In some cases, your cat can have dandruff only in winter months, because of dryness presence in the weather. So, keep a different routine and diet in winter which helps your cat to develop less dandruff.
Must Read: Do Cats Shed More in the Summer?
4. Your Black Cat’s Skin Loves Less Bathing
Bathing is not for cats; they are enough to clean themselves. We wash them for our satisfaction and hygiene (as some people have dander allergies, that can be removed temporarily by bathing your cat).
Frequent bathing can make your cat’s skin dry as it takes natural oil and moisture away from the cat’s skin and this dryness becomes the reason for dandruff formation.
Try not to bathe your cat too frequently as it will only give problems for your cat. Take her to the shower only if you can notice visible dirt or oil on her fur.
Whenever you want to bathe your cat – use natural and moisturizing shampoo which contains protein or components like oatmeal, it provides shine and oil to the skin of cats which enables it to decrease dandruff formation. Highly avoid human shampoo which is too harsh for the cat’s skin.
Moisturizing dog shampoos, cat shampoos and conditioners are available, as well as products designed specifically for dandruff issues. Just be sure not to over-bathe your pet, as this may cause a change in the pH of the skin, which can cause a medical problem. Unless instructed by your veterinarian, pets should not be bathed more than once every two weeks.
Dr.Hanie Elfenbein, DVM
Must Read: Can I Use Baby Shampoo on My Cat?
Important Read: Can I Use Human Shampoo On Cats?
5. Routine Brushing
A cat needs brushing to remove loosened hair. Daily brushing is the best way to avoid dandruff as brushing doesn’t allow dirt to gather.
Use a gentle cat brush and don’t be too harsh while brushing because it might irritate your cat’s skin. Try brushing in the direction of the growth of the hair of your black kitty.
Regular brushing improves blood circulation and that makes the cat’s skin healthier and nourished.
Try avoiding the areas with a skin infection or irritation while brushing your cat’s fur, and don’t scrub while brushing as that’s not the motive of brushing.
6. Change The Diet
In many cats’ deficiency in nutrition is the main reason for dandruff, cats need a specific amount of protein supplements for healthy skin and hair. Especially a diet with low essential fatty acids and less protein needs to be changed to reduce dandruff formation.
Providing a diet full of protein and essential nutrition to your black kitty will not only reduce dandruff, but it will also even give her shiny and silky hair too.
Interesting Read: Do Cats Shed More When Stressed/Scared?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cat Dandruff Normal?
Yes, cat dandruff is common. It occurs most often on the back of your kitty, closer to the tail than to the head. This cat dandruff may be escorted by oily hair.
Mostly it can be easily treated with care and awareness. Keep your cat fit and provide her with healthy food to avoid dandruff formation.
problems such as lymphoma. Some cats appear to respond to dermatological insults (such as exposure to chemical irritants) by producing dandruff.
How Can I Tell If My Cat Has Dandruff?
In most cases, dandruff is visible with the naked eye but in lighter-colored cats, it becomes a little difficult to examine dandruff as the color of dandruff is quite similar to their fur color.
But if you notice your cat is scratching more frequently than and having dry and flaky skin then it means she has dandruff.
Final Words
Now you know why your black cat is having dandruff and how serious or common it is. It’s a normal ailment any cat can have and there is nothing to worry much about.
If you notice that your cat is suffering from dandruff, then try to solve it with the recommended home remedies in this article and a few positive changes in your cat’s routine can help her in reducing dandruff.
Occasionally this problem can require an expert solution, if you feel the problem is not being controlled by primary steps then visiting your vet is highly recommended without any further delay.
How did you react when noticed dandruff for the first time in your cat? What do you do when you notice dandruff formation in your black cat? – Tell us in the comment section.
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