Dry Skin

kiotehntr

kiotehntr

Super Moderator
How do you guys combat dry skin on your dogs? My GSP has just recently started to scratch alot and started to rub some hair off of his side. He doesn't have fleas and I don't believe that it's mites. My buddies Vizla did the same thing about 2 months ago and it was just dry skin. What do you guys do to help your dog if they have this problem?
 
One thought is that the dog food could be causing this problem some dogs tend to be sensitive to the ingredients although if you use a premium feed this might not be the problem. I had a friend with the same problem and that is what his vet had him do, it took awhile but cleared the issue up.

If it keeps getting worse I would bite the bullet and spend the 40/50 bucks for a vet visit.
 
Any inflammed (pink) skin areas?

Two things that are easy to try.

Change feed to one that is higher in Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids or higher fat content.

or

Supplement your current feed with Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. a tablespoon of olive oil and Fish Oil capsule per day is a good place to start. May take a few weeks before you may notice anything though.

If you suspect a seasonal allergy or just want to provide relief from itching, try giving a Benadryl along with the omega 3's as this may provide some added relief of itching. 1mg per pound of bodyweight is recommended dosage. So example, 2 capsules (50 mg) for a 50 - 60 pound dog every 12 hours.
 
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I have used salmon oil and cod liver oil on my dog's food. A couple of ounces per day on the food helps a lot! Also "Happy Jack" makes an anti-fungal shampoo for dogs and horses. It's called "Xylecide", and is for various skin problems. Haven't tried it, but I have been looking for some. There is an add on the inside back page of August / September 2009 Retriever Journal.
 
Get him to the vet! Skin problems in dogs can be a really PITA and can get out of control easy without proper treatment. It could very well be dry skin but it could also be something more serious.

My buddy's Small Munsterlander started having scratching her skin raw and loosing hair late last summer. Unfortunately the vet mis-diagnosed the problem and it got worse. Then they started using a steroid spray on her to calm the condition. All this did was mask the real problem. What started out as an apparent alergic reaction ended up being a real mess. It took nearly a year and several visits to the University of Minnesota Vet School to get her back to normal.

Good luck with your dog and I hope it turns out to be something easy to correct.
 
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