Most often, dry skin and dandruff manifests as a reaction of the skin to underlying aggression. However, there are some cats who may have primary keratinisation disorders, which are believed to have an inherited component.Impaired grooming abilities.

There are a number of problems that can impact your cat’s ability to groom itself, which can result in accumulated dandruff. Mobility issues caused by osteoarthritis or excess weight, painful conditions, or other diseases that can cause lethargy can all lead to reduced grooming in cats and consequent accumulation of dandruff.If you have a senior cat or if your cat is not capable of grooming itself properly, be it because of a health-related issue, or due to temporary limitations (such as having to wear an e-collar, for example), we recommend that you give them a hand in keeping their coat clean

Cat's environment

There are many environmental factors that can exacerbate skin water loss, dryness, leading to dandruff. Examples include dry winter air and central heating causing low air humidity. Good diet is optimal for skin health, so a poor diet can also lead to dandruff. If you bathe your cat, we recommend to use a shampoo developed for pets as bathing with an inappropriate shampoo can dehydrate skin and lead to dandruff.

Other parasites that can cause problems are Demodex, a parasite that lives in the hair follicles or on the surface of the skin that can overgrow causing skin lesions and hair loss (feline demodicosis or demodectic mange) and Notoedres cati, a mite that causes intense itching resulting in scabs and scaly skin (scabies), beginning generally on ears, then head and neck spreading afterwards.

Allergies

Even though the main sign of allergies in cats is itchiness, scratching and overgrooming are likely to follow. Further damage to the skin then occurs, which can manifest as a variety of lesions, including hair loss, excoriations, crusts and rarely greasy brownish flakes around the other lesions.

Skin infections

Skin infections can be seen alongside dandruff but most often oily skin. They are usually the result of an underlying problem that damages the skin’s protective barrier. These secondary infections can be bacterial linked of self-inflicted lesions or yeast-related (Malassezia dermatitis). The underlying problem needs to be identified to prevent from reocurrences.

Ringworm

Cats (usually young cats or cats with debilitated immunity) can also suffer from ringworm, a fungal infection that can be tricky to manage. The way ringworm manifests in cats can be highly variable. You can find ring-shaped skin lesions, bald patches of dry, flaky skin, red skin, papules and crusts.

Nutritional deficiencies

As most commercial cat foods are balanced diets, nutritional deficiencies are more often the result of gastrointestinal problems that may impair nutrient absorption than the quality of the diet itself. However, low-fat foods, usually recommended for weight loss in obese cats, can lead to dry, flaky skin.

Endocrine diseases

Hyperthyroidism and diabetes are the most common endocrine (hormonal) diseases that can affect cats. These can cause alterations in the skin’s elasticity and texture, such as thin, dry skin, scaling, dull and matted hair, and hair loss, as well as other systemic signs, which include:

Neoplastic and auto-immune disease

While skin tumours most often manifests as a nodule or ulcerated lesion in cats, neoplastic disease that is not localised on the skin itself can lead to cutaneous lesions, such as dry skin and dandruff, and more often a greasy coat.

Red skin and scaling on the top of the nose or tip of the ears are often seen in cats that enjoy basking in the sun due to UV damage (sunburn). These lesions can then progress to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a malignant skin neoplasm that is very locally aggressive.

Although rare, autoimmune disease, such as pemphigus (where the cat’s immune system attacks its own skin), can cause dandruff and dry skin in cats.