Why does my cat have dry, flaky skin and how can I treat it?

It looks like Lil'l Striped has dry skin. Make sure he is up to date on his flea treatments, and I can give you one if he isn't up to date on them. You can also give him fished based food, which has omega 3 fatty acids that help with dry skin. There are supplements for cats available online that contain omega 3 fatty acids, and you can try supplement his diet with one of those. Dose him according to the package instructions. I would also have him seen by a vet for a health check. Dry skin in cats can be caused by medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, heart problems kidney disease, and diabetes. He should get a geriatric blood test, physical exam, and urinalysis just to make sure he is healthy. If a medical condition is found, the vet can prescribe treatment for it. I would have him seen by a vet tomorrow. Flea treatment: First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I hope this helps :-)

Due to her GI condition, I recommend to discuss any supplements or diet changes with her normal veterinarian to ensure these do not upset her condition. For pets in general, an omega 3 fatty acid supplement can help to improve coat health. There is also a diet line called Royal Canin that carries several different diet lines including diets specific for GI issues. In general this diet line contains supplements for coat health. If your veterinarian agrees, a diet change may also be beneficial. Please post any additional questions.

Flaky skin could be a sign of allergies, some hormonal diseases like hyperthyroidism, poor nutrition or even fleas. If there is no hair loss and her skin appears normal otherwise you could ask your veterinarian about using an oral fish oil supplement to see if that helps. If there is any hair loss, red skin or scabs I would recommend having her examined by your veterinarian. Unfortunately cats tend to lick most topical products so I do not typically recommend using them. There are some 'mousses' that absorb quickly that you could try, I like this brand: https://www.amazon.com/Douxo-Seborrhea-Mousse-Dogs-Cats/dp/B009TXE0KU

I suggest you use essential 6 supplement topically (it is spot-on) and an oral supplement like Wellactin. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=119092 https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=101959 Cats do not take to bathing well. What you can do is use a leave on mousse that is for seborrhea (dandruff). You can use it twice a week until the dandruff decreases and then you can go to once a week. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=117952

Those spots on your kitty could be just dry skin causing itching bad enough to lose hair (do know that dry skin alone should not cause hair loss) but there are several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or endocrine disease which could also look the same way. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. That's great that you are using an omega 3 fatty acid supplement this can help improve the skin health. Make sure it is a formula for pets (better absorption) and you may need to squirt it directly in his mouth. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the skin does not start improving within 2-3 weeks or if it is getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian to look for other causes. Unfortunately, lotions and sprays don;t tend to moisturize as well as supplements and diet. There are some moisturizing sprays and your cat will need to wear an elizabethan collar at all times because otherwise he will lick the product. Moisturizing shampoos and conditions for pets are also an option but not all cats enjoy baths and may bite and scratch their owners. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Cats can develop scaling of their skin or dandruff for a number of reasons, which can be the result of a host of reasons. Some of these can include parasitic infections (including lice or mites), fungal infections, allergies, hormonal disorders, or nutritional imbalances, among many others. The only way to definitively diagnose the cause of dry skin is by starting with a trip to the veterinarian. After a physical exam, diagnostic testing may be needed depending on a cat’s concurrent clinical signs. These tests may include skin cytology, skin scrapes, fungal cultures or blood tests. In some cases, a simple diet change to a high quality balanced diet may remedy the problem.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!