What can I add to my dog's food to help stop his dry skin from itching?

Question

It started as soon as we stopped giving him can food. Our older dog passed, so we no longer saw the need for it. I bought a dog food to help dry skin, but the signs are still here. He is going crazy rolling on the floor on his black looking cute. Help please!

Answer 1

This site will help you :

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=666

GIVE YOUR DOG BOILED EGG ONCE EVERYDAY, IT MAKES HIS COAT SHINY AND GIVE HIM ESSENTIAL OILS THAT HE NEEDS FOR HIS SKIN.

YOU CAN NEVER GIVE HIM ENOUGH PROTIEN.

Answer 2

Some people swear by adding olive oil, others by Cod Liver oil. Vets sell a good balanced product like 3V Skin Caps that have Omega 3, Vit A, D and E in them. It is a combo oil cap that all contents work together to improve skin and coat.
That is what I give my dogs.
Also, if you bathe your dog, you may need to bathe less frequently. Some dog foods provide more healthy ingredients, wheat, corn and soy are often added to dog food and aren't tolerated well by dogs.
Also, Nature's Recipe has some treats which are designed to help skin and coat. Our dogs get that and the 3V Skin Caps.
If you look into cod liver oil, go with Norwegian Cod Liver Oil which is sold in health food stores. Store it in your refrigerator and keep it out of direct sunlight. Good cod liver oil doesn't have a bad smell. You can mix in a few tablespoonfuls for a large dog, or a lot less if a smaller dog. Too much of a good thing can cause diarrhea!

Answer 3

Try codliver oil on the food.Also,avoid cheaper,generic brands of dogfood,that contain a lot of corn as a "filler".Some dogs are allergic to that.Garlicpowder (a pinch only) on his food helps keep fleas away,as does dry yeast(contains a lot of vitamin B).So sprinkle a pinch of dry yeast (from baking department at your grocerystore) on his food aswell.
For bathing,I suggest Oatmealshampoo,a hypoallergenic conditioner before rinsing out completely.OR simply go back to "the old days" and use an eggyolk(yes an egg yolk) instead of shampoo.Lather it up in some water,spread it evenly over the coat,rub in good,let sit a few minutes,and rinse off.
(Do not use the eggwhite,unless your dog has oily coat.)
A few tablespoons of Vinegar in the last rinsewater cleans,deodorizes and gives your pet a nice,shiny coat,helps keep dandruff away too.
Some dogs also need more vegetables than others in their diet,like green peas,carrots and green beans.
These are all natural remedies,which I am a firm believer in.They dont cost a lot,and help without side effects.Tried and proven for decades!

Answer 4

Just be careful, your dog could be allergic to whatever food you are giving him which could be causing the itching. When you change foods abruptly and the dog starts itching, you should really consider there may be an allergy to the food he is eating. Second, you can try an oatmeal based shampoo for his itchy skin. There is a product called dermacaps that you can give to the dog also to help with the itching. Good Luck!

Answer 5

You probably need to see the vet and get a topical cream, ointment, or shampo rather than trying to solve this problem with food. Thats what I had to do for my dog. The vet can tell you home remedies that will work also. Good Luck.

I also put alot of my hair conditioner for dry hair on my dog when I bathe him. I rub it in good and let it stay on for about 5 minutes before rinsing it out., This works really well. Dont bathe your dog more than twice a month or his dry skin will get even worse.

Answer 6

If you feel the canned food helped, then you could try feeding him with the dry food mixed with the canned food. There is also a medicated shampoo out there that is for allergy skin. When using, the shampoo must sit on your dog for 20 minutes before rinsing. There is also a relief creme that can be followed after the medicated shampoo. This also helps with dry skin. Hope this helps. Good Luck

Answer 7

The itching may be due to his lack of digestion of corn, if that is an ingredient in his kibble. Sometimes this is the easy fix for other dogs who constantly chew or scratch themselves.
Some foods, such as Nutro, offer a dry skin formula kibble, but they also use Corn, which is a filler ingredient, and so it does nothing for the dog.

If you use a kibble with corn in it, try another brand, such as Natural Balance or Merrick, which uses NO corn, and the itching will stop.

Answer 8

Take him to the vet as soon as you can. It might be, as you think, just a food supplement is needed. Or it could be something else entirely.

Only your vet can tell you for sure. If it is just a diet change is needed, your vet can give you something to relieve the symptoms until whatever diet change is recommended starts to help. And don't you want to know if it's something more serious?

Your dog may be looking cute, but I bet he'd be happier not looking so cute, but not feeling so bad.

Answer 9

Check with your vet.... or a consultant at a good pet supply store. If the itching started when you changed brands or types of food.... he may have an allergy to something in the food. Typical allergens are chicken, wheat, egg, milk, corn..... Try one of the hypo allergic brands for 30 days. If he gets better... try food that add one ingredient at a time to see which bother him the most.

Until then.... take lots of pictures of him looking cute :)

Answer 10

Fish oil is what our vet recc. with our dog that had bad allergies. You can buy them from any store and just pop a hole in it and squeeze on his food. He'll LOVE it too! I also heard that giving can food is good to keep them hydrated! Do you limit his water? Just a thought. Feed him quality food too- Science Diet or Nutro max are good. Eukanuba (sp?) is good too. If it gets worse, call your vet. They have prescription food (expensive!) if needed. Our dog was put on a 'venison' diet because she was allergic to A LOT of things!

Answer 11

Salmon oil. It is great for their skin! Wellness also makes a dog food that is salmon and sweet potato. I suggest making the switch whether your dog has dry skin or not, there are no additives and are wheat and corn free- great diet for your pal.