What can you do for a dog who has terrible dry skin, itchiness and is biting/causing himself to bleed?

Answer 1

I think there is some kind of oil pills you can give them. I remembering my dog doing this & getting pills but it was so long ago. Just call a local vet Monday morning & ask them. They will know what they are called better than me.

Answer 2

I have 2 labs with this problem, for 7 years we have been doing the vet thing, prednisone, antibiotics, benadryl. Changing food. Spent a ton of money, yet every summer is the same thing. Nothing has really changed and I can't afford $1,000 for allergy testing.


I picked up a comb from QVC which seems to really get out a lot of hair when I brush. That seems to help. I also use peroxide to help dry the areas where they chew. This seems to prevent it from getting worse. My guys seem to have a lot of flakiness, so try to remove as much of this as possible by bathing, brushing and wiping them down.

I just found out that my local Petco has a do it yourself doggie wash, which means it now costs about $10 instead of $50 to bathe each dog, so I am going to try doing this every week or 2 and see if this helps.

Answer 3

If the condition is in one area, like one of his hind legs then he probably has a hot spot. Trim all of the fur away from the affected area and wash it gently. I use aloe (you can buy a bottle in the grocery store where they sell suntan stuff) on hot spots and they seem to go away very quickly. Just smear a generous amount of aloe into the affected area two or three times a day.

You should take the dog to the vet's to be sure that the rash is just a rash and not some other skin condition.

Answer 4

First of all, talk with your vet, since the dog might have a skin condition which requires special treatment.

Beyond that, make sure to use dog shampoo for sensitive skin, possibly a doggy skin conditioner as well, and make sure there are no likely allergens/irritants in the places where your dog is likely to spend time.

Answer 5

Get to the vet. There are many skin diseases in dogs like mange and severe allergies that you may be seeing. Oatmeal shampoos and relief shampoos can ease some of the pain. You may also want to put some healing ointment on his open sores. Benedryl is a comon itch reliever, but you will have to consult your vet as to how much your dog should take.

Answer 6

Change his food. He has allergies.
Many foods have corn and wheat products which are major allergens. (read the package labels) They also have preservatives and nasty stuff that make dogs sick. Read "Foods Pets Die For" by Ann N Martin, for all the gruesome details.
Artemis, Wellness, Canidae, Innova, California Natural, and Avoderm are all wonderful foods. They have websites by those names.
California Natural has a Skin and Coat Suppliment that works wonders. I am really pleased with it.
I assumed you treated him for fleas. They are also a big allergen. Frontline and Advantage are the best. If they aren't working for you, switch to Advantix or use more than one drug. Some really allergic dogs (like mine) need more than one to be effective.


EDIT
DO NOT USE DREFT ON THE DOG!! It's laundry detergent!! Not meant for sensitive skin! What a moron. :)

Answer 7

First you need to determine what is causing your dog to itch. Could be something simple like a food allergy (have you switched his food lately?) or could be something in his environment that is causing the itching.

I would give him a nice bath with an oatmeal shampoo for dogs to help alleviate his itchy skin and maybe give him some Children's Benedryl (call your vet to ask for the correct dosage for your dog).

Answer 8

I agree with another answerer - you do need to take the dog to the vet.....
In the meantime - get some benadryl - 1/2 tablet - this will make her/him sleepy so as not to scratch - then get vitamin e capsules - right before bedtime, about 1 1/2 hours after the tablet is dispersed - and rub the areas with the gel from the capsule - this will help with healing - it sounds like your dog might have mange - or is allergic to something.

Answer 9

when my dog was a puppy he had really dry skin that he would scratch all the time. I put pure virgin olive oil on his coat and massaged it in. I would do that every day for 3-4 days then wash him. He has had dry skin since.

Answer 10

Give him approximately a Teaspoon of fish oil (depending on his size) in his food every day. It works like a charm.