My dog has dry skin and its making him itchy, what can i do to help him stop itching?

Question

i have a 4month old year old yorkie, he has really dry skin and he scratches alot. which is causeing him to get dandruff. what can i do to help keep his skin mosturized and how do i get rid of the dandruff?

Answer 1

My dog has the same problem and the dog I had previously as well. They were chows,. With the first one I would take him to the vets and he would get a shot that would last for about 10 days and then he would start prednisone course (7-10 days) and this would keep him itch-less for a few months. We had to do this four or five times a year. With the second dog we have tried a little different protocol, we did get her the shot but, soon after that she needed her hair done and summer was here so i asked the vet to give her a puppy cut which cuts her hair down to about 1/2 inch from her skin (chows have three layers of hair) when i went to pick her up she acted like a puppy and this continued for months and we had no itching problems but, when the hair grew out the itches came back. It probably is an allergy but, this might help as yorkies need extensive grooming and have long hair as well. I looked up yorkies and I see that cutting their hair might not be what you would want to do but, there is always the medication route. good luck. I just read the other answers and it surprises me how often people wash their dogs. Mine go swimming and get baths when absolutely needed. I think (but, am not sure) that all that bathing would dry up the natural oils. I also feed my dogs a diet of hamburger, rice, barley, garlic, flax seed oil and fresh veggies to help as well.

Answer 2

When an animal has skin problems it may be the food you are feeding him. I suggest you find the best natural food (always read labels) and see if things change in a few weeks.

You can add some olive oil to the food too, no more than a teaspoon, to help with dry skin and better digestion.

Also, make sure that if you are bathing your dog (I hope you do!) that you are using a mild shampoo designed for dogs and nothing harsh. Many of the store bought products from the big name companies has harsh chemicals in them and the food is horrid. Be a good mommy and read labels to protect your pet.

Answer 3

What moisturiser are you using, does it contain some nasty chemical ingredients that are doing more damage than good? What is the diet like, is it all commercial, if you answered yes - this is where your problem lies. Try feeding a more natural diet, I like to feed mine on organic chicken mince and to this I add a number of fruits and vegetables, I add egg yolk only, grated raw carrot, grated cheese (not too much), cut up lettuce and or grass from the back yard, cooked pumpkin and or sweet potato, (Definitely no potato), a little avocado, some peas and beans, crushed garlic etc... Try staying clear of any ingredients that contain alcohol and or fragrance, I use organic shampoo (the one that I use for the family) on the dogs, have had no skin problems. Add some 100% pure coconut oil in with the food, yes it is bloody expensive but less than the vet bill (I use Nui brand, pronounced new, obtained from local health food store.
All the very best to you both.

Answer 4

Skin-eze Shampoo

Answer 5

Shampoos and topical sprays (with steroids or tea tree oil) can offer a few minutes relief, although shampoos tend to irritate more than soothe.

For a fast, natural, dog allergy treatment, try Skin-eze™ chewable tablets for dogs. Also effective to use - Skin-eze Shampoo, Skin-eze Spray, and Skin-eze Oil O3

Answer 6

Definitely take your dog to the vet! There is something wrong if he is itching himself to this extreme. He may have mange, allergies, or some other condition. His condition can deteriorate if he doesn't get help! He probably also has some sort of infection at this point, and needs antibiotic. Call your vet as soon as you can!

Answer 7

There are special medical shampoos you can buy at either the vet or the pet store for dry skin. But also remember, don't wash your dog too much because you'll be washing away all the good oils that they need to moisturise their fur.

Answer 8

do what you would do with a kid that has chicken pox. Bathe him in an oatmealbath. also he might have to change his diet my dog has dry skin to so we put her on a holistic dog food called Egalpack. she loves it. It has chicken and fish plush some fruits that help her skin. For the dandruff try to brush him atleast once a day and mabey with a change indiet and doggie bathes his skin will improve.

Answer 9

My dog had dandruff. Vet told me to give her fish oil pills. We bought them specifically from the vet as they were made for dogs. It got rid of the dandruff w/ in a month. Occasionally I still give my dogs fish oil and my new vet okayed giving them human fish oil pills (it's cheaper).

The dog who had dandruff got several fish oils pills a day, but she was 60lbs. For a small dog, I'd start w/ one pill, cut it open and pour the oil or 1/2 of the oil on your dog's food (yorkie's too small to swallow pills w/ treat). Make sure you get fish oil that says it is mercury free. I also prefer fish oil that says it is taken from ocean fish and not farmed fish. (btw, I get my fish oil from Costco and I know what they sell says this on their label). You could also ask your vet about dosage.

And finally, I had considered using dandruff shampoo on my dog to help her, but my vet says not to use human shampoo on dogs. Use detergent free shampoo. Human shampoo too harsh and washes away too much of the oils. Detergent free is hard to find (can only find it online--most dog shampoos at stores have detergents) so even though it's not completely detergent free, I sometimes use Baby Shampoo w/ no problems. It helps not to irritate my dog's skin. I have also heard good things about Buddy Wash which you may be able to find in a health food store. Or buy shampoo from your vet.

Answer 10

You really need to read "Banish My Bumps" by Angela Steinberg (also available in electronic format here: http://www.banishbumps.com ). It's about how to permanently cure your Keratosis Pilaris naturally. I was able to clear my skin in only 7 days after reading this.

Stop paying paying each month good money on creams. This is exactly what the pharmaceutical industry wants you to do! They want to milk money from you each month.