He has very dry flaky skin, he is constantly licking, scratching etc, if you have come across this before your help would be most useful
2006-11-09 08:38:56 · 20 answers · asked by Ian G 4 in Pets ➔ Dogs
it's probably dietary...try using some linatone on his food...it's a product you can get at pet stores. it contains linoleic acid and other essential fatty acids for healthy skin. it's fairly inexpensive. and dogs usually love it. if he won't eat his food after you've put the linatone on it, try sprinkling a small amount of granulated garlic powder on top. it could take a few weeks for the dry skin to go away, so in the meantime, you might want to buy some sulfadene to rub on the skin to stop the itching until he starts producing sebaceous skin oils. good luck with this.
2006-11-09 09:12:27 · answer #1 · answered by pirate00girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a common problem in Shih Tzus, most often caused by over-bathing. You could try adding some olive oil to his food, and bathe him no more than once monthly (unless, of course, he gets really dirty and needs it). Make sure that any shampoo that you use is a conditioning shampoo, and using a cream rinse will help.
Taking him to the vet to rule out medical problems would be a good idea, as well.
2006-11-09 11:31:01 · answer #2 · answered by Shayna 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There may be a worse food than Kibbles n Bits, but if there is, I don't know what it is. Not to say that some dogs don't do just fine on it. But it is pretty worthless. There are lots of good foods out there. I have a dog with allergies (grain allergies) and I feed Dick Van Patten Natural Balance Limited Ingredients allergy formula, but you don't *have* to get that extreme. Royal Canin, Canidae, Wellness, Blue Buffalo all have good food. You can also supplement with Norwegian Kelp and fish oil (not corn oil). Good luck, the little guy must be miserable.
2016-03-19 05:53:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had a male shih tzu that had the same problem, at first i thought it was the shampoos i was using, even though i only bathed him once a month anyway, after trying several different products i took him to the vets as it wasnt getting any better. i explained to the vet and they advised to change his diet, as i was feeding him tinned dog food mixed with biscuits, they suggested to take the meat out and only feed him dry food. that was now over a year ago and his skin and coat are now perfect, no more stratching or biting, and definatly no more flakey bits... hope this helps
2006-11-10 01:43:35 · answer #4 · answered by linzi8185 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be that he is having a reaction to shampoo etc. Many shampoos on the market contain toxic chemicals that irritate the sensitive skin on animals. Neways is a company that makes dog and cat shampoo free of these toxic chemicals - it is called Optimal Plus. It also has a skin moisturiser and hair detangler in it for an ultra luxurious pooch! You will not find this brand in retail stores though, you will need to find a distributor - I can help you with that...!
2006-11-09 17:19:42 · answer #5 · answered by Heidi C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
give them some watered peanut butter or cottage cheese in the dogs food the oil will help the dry skin You can also go to the vet and get a allergy shot that will last about 3 months.
2006-11-11 15:26:58 · answer #6 · answered by lucywusy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give him an omega 3 fatty acid supplement like Dermacare or Lipiderm, you can find them at any PetSmart or Petco. Good luck, and hope this helps. An afterthought: Use a good hydrating shampoo also.
2006-11-09 08:42:18 · answer #7 · answered by little_beth85 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be a reaction to his food. Make sure the food is high quality, no by-products, fillers, sugars, etc. I like the foods from http://www.frrco.com/121668 You feed less so a bag would last your dog a while.
Check for fleas. He could also have flea bite dermatitis. Get a flea comb, and also check the area under his tail. If you see what looks like "pepper," that is flea waste.
Good luck!
http://www.libertydogtraining.com
2006-11-09 09:18:30 · answer #8 · answered by libertydogtraining 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dog had similar problems, and our vet recommended putting one 1000mg Fish Oil pill with Omega-3 in his food each day. It has helped so much, costs way less than pet prescriptions, and is sold at pretty much any store.
2006-11-10 03:08:28 · answer #9 · answered by Kayla G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call your vet and make an appointment for an evaluation. They will know best. If you want to try something else you could switch his food, try a lamb and rice, this has worked really well for my dogs. If he is scabbing, take him in, he may have allergies.
2006-11-09 08:44:40 · answer #10 · answered by sdk423 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋