Is it dandruff or lice on my rescued cat's fur? Vet wasn't sure.

Hi and thanks for your request. What you showed on the pics you uploaded are unlikely to be lices/fleas eggs and more likely to be dandruff. Dandruff is a generic dermatological sign which could be commonly seen in many skin disorders. First step is to treat any possible skin parasites with a good quality flea treatment, ideally on prescription taken by your local veterinarian. All the pets in the house must be treated, and the house may need to be treated indoors as well. Allergies and skin infections could be common causes of dandruff as well. To be able to give you a more specific answer, I would need a more thorough description of the signs you noticed. Please feel free to post more question on the forum if you require to discuss this problem any further. Kind regards, Dr. Orioles Massimo

If they are moving then they are likely lice. You can apply a topical flea preventativeto such as Advantage or even Revolution can be used to kill lice. If they are not moving then this is likely large dandruff and pet formulated fish oils and well as a good shampo (ie Duoxo seborrhea shampoo) can be used. Best wishes with you and your pet Angel. Best wishes and take care.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks like flea dirt. If you put "cat flea dirt" into a Google search you will see many photos that resemble this. I suggest you get her a GOOD flea prevention and treat your house and/or yard for fleas. You can bathe her if she will let you with Dawn dish soap. Use the dish soap sparingly as it is very concentrated. Be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. You should only need to bathe her once. Bathe her either 24 hour before OR after applying the topical flea medication. If you can't bathe her, don't worry too much about it. Once the medication kicks in and you treat the environment her clinical signs will resolve. I have linked some products for you below: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=120766 ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Virbac-Knockout-Treatment-Spray-16-Ounce/dp/B00AT6FY6A/ ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Killer-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B071XPK8M8/ ) Be sure to continue to use a topical flea prevention on her EVERY MONTH. Watch her poop closely in the coming months as often cats will get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. If you see any worms (look like grains of rice) on her poop or around her anus you should take her to your vet to get a dewormer. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

If these little white balls are not moving (i.e. lice), then yes dandruff or seborrhea is most likely present. Giving Willow daily fish oils (from your local pet store), Essential 6 spot on treatments, and a medicated bath (Duoxo shampoo seborrhea), may help his skin condition. If no improvement seen within a few weeks time then its best to have him treated through your vet.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The dandruff spot may just be dandruff or a scab that fell off. Without seeing a picture or examining Felix it is hard to tell you for sure. The best way to prevent Felix from getting sick is to keep him up to date on vaccines, deworm him often since he goes outdoor, feed him a high quality cat food, use flea/tick/heart worm prevention, have him examined by a Vet yearly and try to keep him indoors. We know outdoor cats are happier but they tend to live shorter lives due to trauma and injury. I hope this helps and I wish you and Felix the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your pictures the black squiggly thing looks like "flea dirt" or flea poop. When you wet it on a white paper towel it melts to blood. They usually don't move though unless you had a flea. I would start a good flea preventative like Comfortis, Bravecto or the Seresto collar. I hope this helps and I wish you and Livvy the best!

It looks like dandruff. However, if he's itchy or has any areas of skin that obviously have a rash, take him to your vet. If not, here's an article you may find helpful. https://www.petcoach.co/article/helpful-products-for-your-dogs-dry-skin/ Thanks for asking PetCoach!