Kitten dandruff

[CreatureTeacher]

My black kitty has the most gorgeous fur, but of course it's black so his dandruff shows. He didn't used to be so flaky. (ha,ha!) But he doesn't hardly ever wash himself, so I can't trust him to take care of it. Is there a shampoo or something I could use on him to get rid of those icky flakes? He's such a pretty boy, and the dandruff is making him so much less pretty!!

He also has one leaky eye, but I think that's probably just allergies.

[Saje]

hmmm. I don't know the answer to that but my cat had really dry hair/skin and the vet recommended a really small, metal comb to help spreak the natural oils. We didn't do it religiously enough though! (I was a kid!)

[CreatureTeacher]

I'll look into that, Saje. He's such a pain to brush that I only do it about once every 2 weeks. You'd think I was combing him with razor blades! We use one of those rubbery brushes with the big flexible tines to get the dead hair out.

[Saje]

Maybe the rubber gets caught in the base of the hair. I think cats have more humany hair. I like the rubber curry combs on my horses but I've never tried them on a cat. hmmm. Maybe you should try the glove :)

You should probably direct this at Pro47. I'm not really useful. :)

[Gustav]

My mum swears by Wrights Cold Tar shampoo (not sure if it's available in the US?!!), she used to bath our cat that had ezcema in it! it really helped her!!

[Ash47]

Hi!
Yea, black coats are no good for flakes. Well, if he has a watery eye and has flaky skin, then maybe you should take him to the vet and let them have a look at it. It sounds like he may be having some big allergy problems. They will prbably give him a Cortisone shot, then maybe prescribe some good ol' antibiotics.
From a groomer's POV, I think that Sebolux would be a good shampoo for the skin. Here is a link http://www.vetamerica.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=641
If you decide to buy the shampoo, you can either wash him with it at home or take him to the vet for them to wash him. It should clear up the skin problem... Unless of course it is coming from the inside out. But even if it is, they will probably just give him a shot of Cortisone and that will help too.

I hope all this helps!
Ashleigh :)

[Barb04]

I finally bought a comb to use on my Maine Coon (talk about hair). The comb handle is platic and the teeth are rounded edge metal. The teeth are loose so they can turn in either direction which prevents pulling of the hair. So far my cats like the comb; they don't like to be brushed either.

[CreatureTeacher]

He's just a whiner. :) He's a domestic shorthair.

Hmmm...I'd rather stay away from the Cortizone and antibiotics since he doesn't really need them. I might talk to my canine acupuncturist, though!