Some cats suffer from chronic dry skin and this type of cat is commonly referred to as a dry skin cat. Dry skin in cats can significantly increase the amount of dander that falls from the animal, so if you are allergic to cats, and your cat has dry skin, it is in your own interest to remedy the condition.
Symptoms of Dry Cat Skin
The most obvious indicator that a cat has dry skin is that its fur will lose its gloss and density. You can also determine that you have a dry skin cat if it flakes excessively from underneath its fur. If your cat has no hair in some places, dry skin is much easier to spot. It may be peeling or, in more serious cases, covered in small scabs.
Causes and Treatments of Dry Skin in Cats
The most common causes of dry skin in cats are nutritional deficiencies. Dry skin can be the first noticeable result of a deficiency in the cat's intake of the proteins, vitamins, and minerals that all cats need to stay healthy. If your cat's dry skin is a result of malnutrition, the remedy will obviously be to start feeding it better. Buy cat food designed for your cat's breed and age, as different cat foods designed for different cats have different proportions of these nutrients.
Another cause of dry skin in cats is bathing your cat with shampoo too much. Shampoo can wash away the natural oils in a cat's skin and fur that are responsible for moisture retention, and if the cat is bathed too often, there is not enough time for the skin to re-secrete these oils before they are again washed off. Obviously, if your cat is suffering from dry skin because you bathe it too much, the solution is simply to bathe the animal less often, or refrain from using shampoo every single time you give the cat a bath.
Many diseases can also be responsible for dry skin in felines. The most common of these are thyroid disease, kidney disease, heart disease, and allergies. In cases of dry skin in cats that is caused by disease, the remedy for the dry skin will be tied in with the treatment of the disease that causes it.
More Remedies: Nutrition, Grooming and Brushing
A good way to prevent dry skin in your cat is to feed it a an eighth of a teaspoon of fresh fish oil every other day, and a little fresh salmon once per week.
Brushing your cat regularly can help to prevent dry skin in a number of ways. Most importantly, it increases the circulation of oils in the cat's skin and fir, so they can spread more easily.
Regular brushing can also help to prevent dry skin by removing dead hair, which would otherwise tangle into the cat's coat, form mats, and restrict airflow to the skin. To provide your cat with immediate relief from the discomforts of dry skin, if not the root cause, you can mist the animal with a mixture of bath oil and water. This will add a coating of oil over the animal's body, thereby preventing further moisture loss.