Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

My indoor cat is suddenly losing small clumps of hair and when brushed, the skin appears to have dandruff. Not sure of age, maybe 10 yrs old, and otherwise seems happy. It is me who is not. Anyone have an inkling as to the cause of this?

Rhea from NY

Answers:

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

One of my friends owned a cat that was losing fur and she had a vet look at it. Her cat was vitamin deficient and after a few treatments, her cat was beginning to develop new fur. Her cat was old too.
(02/02/2008)

By Myrna

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

I don't have any tips for the lost hair, but any pet shampoo which contains oatmeal does wonders for animal dandruff. My black cat had quite a lot of dandruff. After an oatmeal bath a year ago the dandruff has been absent. (02/03/2008)

By Joe

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

This happened to my ex-husband's cat. He didn't take Ashes to the vet and she got worse and worse, losing hair and weight, and she died. :(

This is not normal. Take her in to the veterinarian for an exam ASAP. (02/04/2008)

By LuvMyGingerKids

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

Please take your kitty to the vet. This happened to a cat I had, and when I took him to the vet, it turned out he had diabetes. It was basically too late, and we never even had time to get his insulin regulated. He went into a ketoacidotic crisis a week later and died. (02/05/2008)

By Kelly

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

Please take it to the vet! Mine did that and turns out she had kidney disease. She did not act sick, but had I caught it earlier she may have lived. (02/05/2008)

By Mara

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

First, check for fleas or mange. Is the fur just falling out on it's own, or is your cat overgrooming itself? If it's just falling out, there are too many things it could be, allergies, disease, illness, or stress. Get your kitty to a vet. If the hair loss is due to overgrooming, it could be fleas, stress, or just itchy skin. Then the kitty needs a bath with oatmeal and then try a half cup of apple cider vinegar diluted with half a cup of water in a spray bottle. Mist your kitty with it every few weeks and rub it into his skin. (The smell will go away once it dries.) The vinegar will stop kitty from overgrooming, will clear up dandruff, kill fleas, stop the itchies, and make the fur shiny. I use it on my kitty for his overgrooming, and on myself to stop dandruff, it really works great! (11/30/2008)

By Shei

Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

I may sound like I'm repeating myself, but I've had this problem with my dog and with him having a yeast infection. After giving him a product called Nzymes, his fur was thick and silky. Our vet, who had wanted him on allergy shots was shocked to see him so much better within a few short months. I believe these Nzymes will help your kitty and she will act younger and have more energy. The kits at nzymes.com aren't cheap at the start, but they last 6 months or more. If you try it, you will see the difference (also with the dandruff). (04/27/2010)

By Lois Appel