Help for a dog with dry skin?

Question

My dog has dry skin and scratches frequently. He does not have fleas. A vitamin E capsule a day helped for awhile, but is there some other solution?

Answer 1

Speak with your vet. Your dog may be allergic to something he is eating. Your vet can recommend either allergy tests or a different food to try.

You can also use an oatmeal shampoo when you bathe him. The oatmeal is soothing and will help moisturize his skin.

Answer 2

Long term solution is to feed a high end dog food. Try Science Diet. It is expensive at first but they don't eat as much because there aren't all the fillers in it. My 50 pound dogs eats 2 1/2 cups a day and there is often some left. It isn't that he doesn't like it, he just doesn't need to eat more than that for his body to maintain nutrition needed. A vet will tell you the same thing and over a 6 month period of time you will have saved money on high end versus the "over the counter" brands. My vet knew I fed my dog high end after just a minute of checking him over without me telling her.

Answer 3

If there are no other underlying problems, then dry skin could be from a lack of fatty-acids in the diet. These are your Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. They are basically fish oil capsules, and your dog may need one or more a day. You can get these at the vets or over the counter, but make sure it says EPA fish oils.

Answer 4

Try Fish Oil capsules. I get mine at Costco, 1000 mg size and give my dog one in the am and evening. Also, what do you feed? Food can cause a lot of itching. Most over the counter food is full of corn, eggs, wheat, etc that are common allergens. Find a better food, that doesn't have those three things and see if your dog stops itching.
You can also add salmon oil directly. I like the stuff I used to get in Alaska.

Answer 5

Yes there is another solution and I found out through trial and error.
1st know the breed you have and go to a Pet Smart store (or something similiar) and they will direct you to the proper food for the breeed (large or small, puppy or adult, active or not, old or young.
The trick I found out is to keep the dog on the same good food all it's life. It costs a little more but you will save the poor thing a lot of trips to the vet and you a lot of money.
I use a product called Nutro, Natural Choice. I have a 2yr old red healer now, "Peaches", and she is doing wonderful on it. Never sick, less poop etc.
Before her I had a blue healer, "Bugsy", who lived to be 15 years old!!! They are not suppose to live past 7 or 8. Proof enough for me!
Good Luck to you both.

Answer 6

Your dog may have more than dry skin, it could be an allergic reaction. There are several things you can bath him in, just like humans use. Aveeno, for example. And use a conditioner after shampooing. If it is allergies, the vet will most likely advise you to give benadryl.

Answer 7

Do not wash your dog often..Add some oil to his diet...perhaps you need to take him back in to the vet to get something for the Itching to give him some relief until you get to the bottom of him problem..What Breed ishe..Some breeds have bad skin as a rule..Ask your vet to recomend a good food for his problem....Read ingredients..I had a dry skin dog..I was washing him too often..With the oil and a diet change he dd a complete turn around! Good luck!

Answer 8

Consider switching to a premium quality food like Science Diet. It did wonders for my cats dry skin and coat.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

your dog might have a food allergy. usually wheat does this. try canidae or kumpe (both good dog foods with very low if any wheat). also using oatmeal or milk shampoo built for dogs will help moisturize. do not use a people shampoo. dogs have very sensitive skin.