Salt and Peppered Dandruff?

[android_lady]

Hello There,

I have a soft, and very fluffy, long haired "tuxedo cat". Mia is about five years old, and has lived with me for the past two months. She previously lived with my parents.

Well, recently I noticed she had very dry skin around the base of her tail. And every time I brush or scratch her there, she has a sort of... twitch. She starts to lick her neck fur aggressively. She also has black "peppery" looking dandruff. Not flakes really, but not "buggy" looking things either. She normally has white "dandruff looking" dandruff, but this is black.

Is this normal?? I JUST moved to a new town, and have not located a vet yet, and am still trying to get financially settled as well. So any advice/home remedy for Mia would be VERY helpful.

Thank you so much,

Sarah

[MJ]

I don't think anything black would really be dandruff. I also don't think cats usually have noticeable dandruff without there being some underlying problem.

My first thought is some kind of insect eggs or something?

I can't say for sure, and I'd take kitty to the vet for a checkup. We can't really suggest any remedies for something that hasn't been properly diagnosed.

[Tina B and crew]

Sounds like flea droppings to me. If you take the black specs and put them on a paper towel then lightly spray with water and they dissolve and turn red then they are most likely flea droppings. You would need to get kitty to the vet to be treated for fleas. DO NOT use any over the counter remedies for fleas, only what you get from the vet (Advantage or Frontline for cats)

I've had cats with dry flaky skin, but typically only my hyperthyroid cat get that way and usually only in winter when the air is really dry.

[Traci]

It could be fleas, sebaceous gland oil that dried, or dead skin, the latter occurs when kitty doesn't or cannot groom in that area due to pain, being overweight, etc. Is she overweight? How is her oral health? If not so good, secretions from the mouth (diseased teeth), bacteria etc can cause this when they groom. It could be numerous things, and only a vet can determine upon an exam. Please find a vet promptly, look in your phone book for an AAHA-accredited vet hospital, feline-only vet etc.

[android_lady]

Thanks for the advise!

Mia is a big kitty. She has Maine Coon in her, and weighs about 16 pounds. On her last visit to the vet, he told us she was perfectly healthy at this size, but she does have trouble grooming.

I first picked out Mia from the Humane Society when she was a TINY kitten, and their policy has always been to spay before they let you take her home. So she was spayed at an age that I now know to be WAY too young for a proper cat. So, Mia has always been a little quirky.

She doesn't know how to play very well, and she's not the best at grooming. Plus all the fun with long haired cats and potty issues... (ick) She also has a tendency to bite in a "playful way" more often than she should.

But she is the best, most wonderful kitty in the whole world.

So thanks you so much for your help.

--Sarah

[MJ]

Haha that sounds a lot like my Marshal. He wasn't fixed too young, but he was given away too young.

He had a lot of potty issues when I first got him, some minor grooming issues just from being incredibly fluffy... Has some trouble playing and jumping, he's just a little "slow"... And he bites inappropriately and unexpectedly sometimes. (By the way, is there much I can do about that other than the firm "No!" and stopping with petting/playing until he cools down?) But he's perfectly healthy, very sweet, and loveable anyway. :P

[android_lady]

It's good to know I'm not the only one! Right now my biggest problems are:

Cleaning Mia's fuzzy butt when she has a "problem". I've tried wrapping her in a towel, trimming, warm compresses... But you would think I was murdering her!

Food: She is a messy, FINICKY eater. I think I finally figured out how to keep her food at least close to her bowl...

[MJ]

Marshal doesn't have much trouble with food... But he's an INCREDIBLY messy drinker. He slops water in every direction when he's drinking, and comes away grumpy with wet paws and water on his forehead. Hahaha.

[android_lady]

A BIG THANK YOU for advising me to go to the vet.

Turns out Mia did have a bad case of the flees. Poor girl! No wonder she was acting crazy (well crazier than normal).

AND it was about $20. (Allot less than I thought it would be) One little pill and a topical treatment and Mia is up to her old tricks. She's already invaded my sock drawer, Destroyed TONS of my knitting, and been the cutest sweetest kitty ever.

Thanks!

[Traci]

What was the pill, a dewormer? What was the topical, Advantage or Frontline?