Shedding/dander problem :)

[amity]

Hello,

A while back I posted about my cats' behaviour problems (introducing one to the other) and while Pickle is still hissing at Pericles, things are reasonably calm.

However, Pericles has a lot of shedding and dander. He is a seal point (tan and black) mixed breed. He has a thick body and wide head so he looks nothing like a Siamese-type breed other than his coloring.

Pickle is a longhaired tabby mix who sheds very little and has absolutely no dander or dandruff problems at all.

They are both eating a mix of Nutro and Innova Lite (I am in the process of switching over to Innova Lite completely) with supplemental Nutro canned food. I have tried Mrs. Allen's Shed-Stop. The bottle is almost completely empty with no improvement whatsoever. His coat is shinier, but the shedding/dander is still there.

I adopted him from my sister-in-law, who is a vet tech, and so I know that this isn't a health problem.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what type of product I could try that works well? Thanks very much.

Also I should mention that I brush him regularly and flea-comb him too (not because he has fleas but to try and get some of the excess hair out) and it doesn't seem to make much difference. His eyes, ears, and nose are completely clear and he's a very active indoor cat.

Thanks again!

[Gudewife]

It may be the food. "Lite" foods tend to be rather lower in fat than is optimal for some cats' skin and coats. Also, dry food can slightly dehydrate a cat over the long-term, leading to increased shed and dandruff.

I've noticed a tiny increase in shed and hairballs since switching my cat to canned Innova Lite; when she was on Wellness and Innova regular formula (all canned), she had next to no shed or hairballs (and this cat was the hairball queen on dry food...lousy coat, flaky skin, the whole 9 yards...all of which disappeared on canned food). On the Light food, I see an occasional flake of dandruff, and a little bit more shedding, which I put down to the lower fat content...I've noticed that Innova's Light dry food seems extremely low-fat to me, in smell, feel, and taste, but that's just my personal perception.

Unless there's a specific health condition tht requires feeding a lower-fat diet, you might want to try feeding a higher-fat, lower-carb food without corn, wheat, or soy and see if that helps before trying supplemental oils or shed-stoppers. Just aim for the same daily caloric intake that you're feeding now with the "regular" formula food (the caloric content should be on the bag). Also, adding more moisture in the form of canned food often helps by keeping the cat hydrated (50/50 canned to dry is usually a fair ratio).

[nanook]

I agree with Gudewife. I definitely noticed a difference in shedding since changing to canned food only. Mine are on Wellnes.

[manitu22]

I have been adding omega 3 fish oil to their food and it has done wonders for their coats. Nice and shiny with little shedding.