Can diabetes cause "dandruff"?

[Gill & Mac (UK)]

Hi
Being trying to read various posts on here on this subject but am not clear still.
Mac has always has some white flakes in his fur & the are a lot more obvious because he is black.
I read that a good brushing 3 or 4 times a week with a brush that gets down through the layers of the fur is the way to go and would also help with all the loose hairs. Our brush only really tackles the top layer of fur so I've just bought a new one with the loads of thin pin like metal spines (but round ended).
Its picked up loads of loose hair but he has also now got loads more dandruff showing - presumably brought to the surface from the lower layers.
Is dandruff a side effect of diabetes? And is there anything I can give him \ add to his food to help lessen it?
thanks
Gill

 

[JanetNJ]

Yes. My cat had terrible dandrift when diagnosed... I think because she was dehydrated. Feed only wet food and add extra water to it. If the fur is a little greasy try rubbing in a few pinches of cornstarch then wait a few min and comb out.

 

[Howiesmom]

Hi Gill,
I noticed the same things with Howie. I read somewhere that when the body is using its energy to fight something, it stops doing other functions that aren’t as important like fur and skin maintenance. That made sense because I would notice more dandruff and less soft fur when I knew he had something else going on, even things like diarrhea. It didn’t matter how much I brushed him. I’m not sure if this is all accurate, but it makes sense to me!

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Gill,

Poor hair coat condition is a very common clinical sign of unregulated feline diabetes (dull-/greasy-looking, unkempt appearance, dander-ridden).

Those spiky brushes tend to dislodge a fair amount of dander at the best of times but there tends to be a lot more of it when grooming a diabetic cat that's not yet well regulated.


Mogs
.

 

[Teetee (UK)]

That's interesting thanks for that info. Our cat has a terrible coat at the moment, dandruff and very greasy looking plus when he has his head down eating you can actually see his skin.

 

[marisofigia]

That's very interesting. My Maya has had dandruff over the past few months but for some reason I only connected the loss of fur with diabetes.

 

[Katray01]

I noticed this too. And also Wiggles hair is dull and looks like he’s not keeping himself clean. He has always been a bad shedder.

 

[JanetNJ]

That's interesting thanks for that info. Our cat has a terrible coat at the moment, dandruff and very greasy looking plus when he has his head down eating you can actually see his skin.

try the cornstarch trick. it acts like a dry shampoo.

 

[Teetee (UK)]

try the cornstarch trick. it acts like a dry shampoo.

I might try it @JanetNJ if softy Duke will let me lol. He's so soft and not one bad bone in his body but runs a mile if he thinks you're going to mess with him.

 

[Critter Mom]

try the cornstarch trick. it acts like a dry shampoo.

Could that affect BG levels if they were to ingest any that was still clinging to the coat after brushing out? (Genuinely curious about this!)


Mogs
.

 

[Teetee (UK)]

Could that affect BG levels if they were to ingest any that was still clinging to the coat after brushing out? (Genuinely curious about this!)


Mogs
.

Good question @Critter Mom , i just looked it up and cornflour contains 91 carbs to 100 grams so i wouldn't have thought a cat could ingest much as even 5 grams would be over a teaspoon full.

 

[JanetNJ]

Could that affect BG levels if they were to ingest any that was still clinging to the coat after brushing out? (Genuinely curious about this!)


Mogs
.

I've never had it effect her... I mostly put it on her back where she can't really reach... And I comb out with a flea comb so it is mostly all off.

 

[JaxBenji]

I have a black dandruff kitty It was super bad when he was unregulated but he has always had dandruff as long as I can remember. I started him on 1/8th t of egg yolk twice a day from here - https://www.foodfurlife.com/store/p9/EZ_Egg_Yolk.html#/ - that (along with regulation) helped his fur so much. Just an option to look at if you are interested.

 

[Critter Mom]

I've never had it effect her... I mostly put it on her back where she can't really reach... And I comb out with a flea comb so it is mostly all off.

Thanks for the further info, Janet.


Mogs
.

 

[Gill & Mac (UK)]

And I have to confess that I resorted to Google to find out that corn starch is cornflour in the UK then thought "Doh! How obvious should that have been!" someone switch my brain back on please. I'm blaming the long Xmas \ New year hols

 

[Teetee (UK)]

And I have to confess that I resorted to Google to find out that corn starch is cornflour in the UK then thought "Doh! How obvious should that have been!" someone switch my brain back on please. I'm blaming the long Xmas \ New year hols

Not on your own Gill, so did i.

 

[Gill & Mac (UK)]

Hello all
Just revisiting this topic - Mac still has his dandruff and I mentioned it to the vet at his regular check up yesterday.
The vet gave him a good look over and said that his skin is fine with no sign of irritation which is good news. So there is no underlying cause there.
It doesn't bother Mac and he is never itchy but i am concerned that all the bits and loose hair will end up in his mouth when he washes. We do brush him to help remove some but it never lasts.
I read somewhere that fish oils added to food can help? Does anyone have any experience of this?
Thanks

 

[tiffmaxee]

Max had dandruff even though tightly controlled.

 

[Teetee (UK)]

Hello all
Just revisiting this topic - Mac still has his dandruff and I mentioned it to the vet at his regular check up yesterday.
The vet gave him a good look over and said that his skin is fine with no sign of irritation which is good news. So there is no underlying cause there.
It doesn't bother Mac and he is never itchy but i am concerned that all the bits and loose hair will end up in his mouth when he washes. We do brush him to help remove some but it never lasts.
I read somewhere that fish oils added to food can help? Does anyone have any experience of this?
Thanks

Hi Gill
We bought a furminator deshedder comb and it removed loads of loose hair and dandruff, we comb him once a week as it does remove lots of fur. Duke seems to like it as it doesn't snag on his fur like a normal comb or brush does, some people like them some don't. Just type in furminator in the search bar as there are plenty of opinions on the forum about it.
We started Duke on krill oil a few days ago to help with his arthritis but it's also supposed to be great for skin and coat, we use
Now Foods, Neptune Krill Oil, 500 mg and give him 1 capsule daily direct into his mouth as he's not keen with it added to his food.
Duke's dandruff has almost cleared up now and his fur is softer and not greasy anymore since his BG has come down to a better level.

 

[JanetNJ]

Hello all
Just revisiting this topic - Mac still has his dandruff and I mentioned it to the vet at his regular check up yesterday.
The vet gave him a good look over and said that his skin is fine with no sign of irritation which is good news. So there is no underlying cause there.
It doesn't bother Mac and he is never itchy but i am concerned that all the bits and loose hair will end up in his mouth when he washes. We do brush him to help remove some but it never lasts.
I read somewhere that fish oils added to food can help? Does anyone have any experience of this?
Thanks

Mine had it in the beginning too. Did you try the cornstarch?