10 Best Cat Shampoos for Dandruff – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Giving your cat a bath might not be too high up on your priority list. We all know how challenging it can be to make your cat step foot near water, let alone completely submerge them in it and scrub them with soap. While most cats do a decent job grooming themselves, those with dander require baths more often.

A feline with dandruff often feels itchy and their fur can become dull, so the best way to help restore their coat to its former comfort and glory is to wash it with shampoo designed specifically to help soothe their skin. Finding a good product for your cat’s needs is an entirely different challenge, though. To help you out, we researched the brands with the highest reviews to compose a list of our top recommendations. Check out these cat shampoos for dandruff, from medicated shampoos to ones that simply use gentle ingredients, so you can help make your kitty’s coat shine once again.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

The 10 Best Cat Shampoos for Dandruff

1. Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo — Best Overall

Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is the best overall cat shampoo for dandruff. It’s the perfect solution to relieve your cat from dry, irritated skin, which is the main cause of dandruff. The aloe and oatmeal will soothe and hydrate your cat’s skin and leave their coat soft. This formula is pH balanced, which suits the needs of both dogs and cats, so this is a great product for a multi-pet household. This shampoo is free of sulfates, dyes, soaps, and phthalates. These harmful ingredients can lead to dryness or overproduction of oil—both of which can result in more dandruff.

Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is an all-natural formula that won’t drain the life out of your cat’s coat. While we like the subtle scent, some felines might not appreciate a fragrant shampoo.

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2. Vet’s Best Oatmeal Medicated Shampoo — Budget Buy

It isn’t always easy finding a medicated shampoo for a fair price, but Vet’s Best Oatmeal Medicated Shampoo is the best cat shampoo for dandruff for the money. The recipe blends ingredients like oatmeal, tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and vitamin B5 to moisturize and soothe your cat’s flaky skin. It also helps to tighten pores and get rid of dirt without affecting topical flea and tick solutions.

Even though this shampoo is designed for dogs, it is safe to use on adult cats but not kittens. It uses all of the same common ingredients as other popular cat shampoos, works effectively, and costs a fraction of the price.

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3. Douxo S3 SEB Odor-Control Seboregulating Dog & Cat Shampoo

If you’re going to pay top dollar to fix a cat’s dandruff problem, you’ll want to use a product that you’re confident will work. Douxo S3 SEB Odor-Control Seboregulating Dog & Cat Shampoo is medicated and ideal for pets that are dealing with greasy dandruff, which is also called seborrhea. Unlike many other products, this recipe has ophytrium, an ingredient that specifically helps strengthen the skin. The rest of the formulation works to reduce dandruff and provide relief for cats with seborrhea by restoring the beneficial bacteria to the skin. 

This shampoo must be left on for 10 minutes before washing it off, which can be tricky to do with a grumpy cat. It’s also quite pricey for how much product you get. That said, the formula is on the thick side, so a little can go a long way.

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4. Frisco Oatmeal Cat Shampoo — Best for Kittens

Sometimes we find ourselves taking care of a new litter of kittens, only to discover that a few of them are having problems with dandruff. Frisco Oatmeal Cat Shampoo is an excellent product if you’re got kittens that are at least 6 weeks old. The shampoo combines oatmeal and coconut to nourish their tender, sensitive skin. It is not medicated, but it does include aloe vera to reduce the feeling of dryness. You should also be warned that it must not be applied within the first 48 hours after applying topical flea treatment. However, we still love this shampoo because it is free from parabens, fits a budget, and has a pleasant almond fragrance.

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5. Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Cat Shampoo

Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Cat Shampoo is a soap-free formula that doesn’t dry out your cat’s skin further. Instead, it has ingredients like aloe vera and oatmeal that are proven to soothe and heal dry, itchy skin. This shampoo is an excellent option for cats with allergies or young kittens.

Another stand-out feature of this pH-balanced shampoo is that it won’t wash off your flea and tick treatment. It has a pleasant scent as well, even though there are reports that it doesn’t last longer than a couple of days.

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6. SensoVet Dandruff Shampoo for Cats & Dogs

SensoVet Dandruff Shampoo for Cats & Dogs is medicated and specifically designed for pets dealing with dandruff, though it can also treat itchy skin due to other conditions, such as dermatitis, feline acne, scaling, mange, and folliculitis. This recipe contains benzoyl peroxide to reduce greasiness and skin scaling and vitamin E to moisturize the coat. 

This shampoo may need to be used two or three times per week at first for you to see results. Regardless, before using this product, you should check with your veterinarian to get specific instructions for your cat. It’s also expensive and may not work for all pets.

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7. Vetoquinol Sebozle Shampoo for Dogs & Cats

Vetoquinol Sebozle Shampoo for Dogs & Cats uses a blend of ingredients that help treat bacterial, fungal, and seborrheic skin conditions without the use of soaps. While it may be expensive, it is one that is extremely effective if your cat is suffering from a severe case of dandruff. The ingredients are strong yet still gentle enough for frequent use. You have to allow it to sit on the cat for at least 10 minutes, however.

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8. RX 4 Pets Cat Skin Irritation Shampoo & Conditioner

RX 4 Pets Cat Skin Irritation Shampoo & Conditioner can be used to help get your cat’s dandruff under control. It has a gentle formula with organic and natural ingredients proven to work on skin conditions. It is free from all harsh chemicals that could cause even further irritation. However, it does use tea tree oil, which might not be ideal for some cats with highly sensitive skin. The shampoo must be left on for a minimum of 5 minutes in order to work properly. Still, we think this is an excellent brand that is proudly made here in the United States.

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9. Pet MD Micoseb-CX Anti-Fungal Medicated Shampoo

Pet MD Micoseb-CX Anti-Fungal Medicated Shampoo is an effective choice to relieve dandruff caused by mange. You do have to follow a strict schedule that requires bathing your cat two or three times per week to soothe the infection. Thankfully, you can reduce this amount after the initial treatment timeframe.

This shampoo was made in the United States. Ingredients like micronized sulfur and peroxide degrease the skin and remove large dandruff scales to help the cat’s coat look shiny and healthy again. That said, it’s pricey.

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10. Petway Pet Care Shampoo

Petway Pet Care Shampoo uses a mix of degreasers and surfactants to remove the oil that is building up on your cat’s skin and coat. Even though it does strip the oils, it is designed to be non-drying for the skin. There are no parabens, phosphates, or sulfates used. However, the bottle is small, and you must use a large amount for an effective clean. There are no medicated ingredients. While it doesn’t advertise a scent, reviews say that there is a somewhat unpleasant fragrance.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Shampoo for Dandruff

It’s not always clear when you should or shouldn’t bathe your cat. We know that felines often do most of their grooming themselves, but there are still times when cat parents need to step in and keep them clean.

Why Should I Bathe My Cat?

1. Their coat got covered in something toxic.

Cats are curious creatures, and they could have wandered somewhere and rolled in something that is damaging their skin and fur. This could be from motor oil, dirt, food, or something else. If there is something on your cat’s fur that you don’t think they should lick off, give them a bath as soon as possible.

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2. They have dry, itchy skin.

The most obvious signs of dandruff include flakey and irritated skin. Giving them a bath could be the thing that finally helps to soothe the irritation.

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3. They have a flea infestation.

Bathing your cat is the best solution for flea infestations. Keep the problem under control and ease their discomfort by giving them a flea bath.

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4. They don’t groom themselves properly.

Some cats simply don’t groom themselves as well as other cats, and it could lead to grease and dandruff buildup that requires a bath.

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5. Someone in the household is allergic to dander.

While the flakes may not be bothering the cat, they could definitely be bothering someone else in the house who has allergies. By bathing your cat every few weeks, you significantly cut back on the amount of dander in the house.

What to Look For in a Cat Dandruff Shampoo

Ingredients

The ingredients are the most important factor you need to consider when buying a cat shampoo for dandruff. Cats with sensitive skin benefit most from hypoallergenic shampoos. These types of shampoos often contain fewer ingredients and are usually more natural. However, some cats have serious skin conditions and might require medicated treatments. These aren’t as good for sensitive skin but often do a better job at healing the cat’s skin problems.

Scent

Fragrances are another factor that you’ll definitely want to consider before buying a new brand of dandruff shampoo. While some owners like their pets to smell like flowers, fragrances aren’t always the healthiest or the most pleasant. Keep in mind that powerful smells to us are even more powerful to cats. Some cats could find that the shampoo you’ve bought is a bit too overpowering.

When Should I Use Medicated Cat Shampoo?

The severity of your cat’s skin condition is likely going to determine whether you buy medicated shampoo products. These are more necessary for cats with a fungal or bacterial skin infection that will not go away without medicated products. If you’re unsure, never hesitate to reach out to your veterinarian and discuss the best options for you and your kitty.

Conclusion

We researched many of the top cat shampoos for dandruff and put together a reviews list of the most popular brands on the market. We highly recommend using the Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo if you’re looking for a gentle and clean formula. However, if you’re looking for a budget option, you might want to go with the Vet’s Best Oatmeal Medicated Shampoo. Other options on this list include those that are highly medicated and those that use more gentle ingredients. Either way, you’ll make a safe and effective choice by picking one of the cat shampoos for dry skin from this list.

• Related Read: How to Get Rid of Cat Dandruff

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Featured Image Credit: Marie-Claude Lemay, Shutterstock