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My cat has dry skin and flakes on his back. How can I treat it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 9 years and 6 months old | 16.6 lbs

My cat has (what I believe to be) dandruff. In the photos below, I show a sample of his fur from the brush and the presumed dandruff centering on his lower back. What can I do to treat this condition?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 6th, 2017

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 :-)
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 5th, 2018

    Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would consider switching to a different flea medication such as Revolution. I find that this works quite well for fleas. For moisturizing the skin, I would recommend bathing with a shampoo such as Douxo PS calm shampoo and using Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for cats. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on June 11th, 2018

    Hi Ken,
    Snoops is adorable! I presume that you are finding the dandruff along his back when you are combing him based on your picture. If you think it is due to dry skin, I have a few suggestions for you. First, cats tend to be chronically dehydrated on a dry food diet, so you could consider increasing the amount of canned food in his diet to try to increase the moisture in his diet. Second, you could add a fish oil to his diet to increase the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in his diet. I like Wellactin ( http://www.welactin.com/cat ) for cats. You could also consider moisturizing sprays, but most cats do not like those, so those are not my top choice.
    Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 7th, 2017

    Often scaling of the skin is more to do with what is going on in the inside. You could try the moisturiser but I fear it may make his skin very greasy. What I would suggest would be getting a special shampoo or mousse from the vet for scaly skin and try applying it. Some of the mousses can be used on a dry coat so no need to worry if you cant bathe him. I would also suggest getting a skin supplrment for Daario, your bet should have some or any food pet shop. If this doesn't start to improve his skin I would have him examined by a dermatologist in case he has an underlying skin issue.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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