Health & WellnessWhy is my cat's coat greasy, nails brittle, and paws dry/callused?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. To be honest, the pictures of Kat don’t look that bad to me but I know that in real life things can be different.
I’d first try about 300 mg per day of fish oil. This can take a month or two to really help but does often help with things like this.
Brushing daily can also help with the greasiness.
I see he is a little on the chunky side, so part of the greasiness may be that he is not able to groom that area easily any more. Brushing and weight loss can help there.
Finally, there are true skin conditions (oil gland diseases, auto-Immune diseases, mites, infections) that can also cause skin problems like this so if it seems severe, gets worse in any way, or is not improving in 3 weeks, it’s time to see the vet.
Best wishes to you and Kat!
Updated on September 24th, 2025