what can I do for my dogs dry skin? I was told to try her with cod liver oil pills, but she still has dry skin

Answer 1

Take the dog to the Dr. but also try giving your dog high quality foods (science diet, eukanuba, iams) if you give them dry foods mix with water. And egg especially the yolk because of the fat content(cooked or uncooked) fish oil pills. If you live in a cold climate keep the dog inside as much as possible the cold air will do the same thing to their skin that it does to ours. Oatmeal dog shampoo is good but if that to expensive Johnsons baby shampoo and conditioner works awesome and like some of the other folks have said dog do not need to be bathed very often like cats the really don't like to be dirty which is why they groom themselves.

Oh Yeah! Brushing a dog lightly but regularly(regardless of if they need it or not) will help stimulate the oil glands in the skin.

Answer 2

The most common cause of dry skin in dogs is the preservatives in their food. Preservatives just ruin their skin. Find a brand of dry dog biscuit that has zero preservatives, no colourings or artificial flavourings, and stick with it. It does not need to be expensive. There's one here in Australia which is very cheap and fills all the requirements.
Frequently add to the biscuits some of these things: a raw egg; olive oil; a chunk of real butter; some vegemite. Once or twice a week should be fine. Also make sure she has raw fresh large beef bones, like the thighbones of cows, which have been split longwise down the centre so she can eat the raw marrow inside - this is very important in keeping her skin and hair healthy. But mostly it's the preservatives in her food. Get rid of them all. Good luck.

Answer 3

I foster dogs from the local shelter and many have terrible coats. First, feed a high quality food like Chicken Soup, Innova, Canidae, Wellness, Solid Gold, etc. NOT Purina, Pedigree, Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, etc. Then you can add a raw egg every day, 2-4 fish oil capsules (not cod liver oil), 1 vitamin E capsule, and a splash of olive oil all works miracles on itchy coats. Most people bathe their dogs WAY too much and it strips the oils from their coats. My dogs get 1-2 baths a year and they have very little odor. A good diet works much better.

Edit: anyone who says that Science Diet, Iams, etc are good foods absolutely INCORRECT. They are full of grains which dogs were never designed to eat. Kibble should not contain any corn, wheat, sorghum, soy, etc and those foods are full of it. Do you hear reports of wolves and wild dogs raiding corn and wheat fields? Of course not. It is a big cause of allergies and dry skin. Feeding something that is easier on the grains like Chicken Soup, Innova, Canidae, Natural Balance, etc is much better. Also, if you feed raw egg whites but not the egg yolk, yes, you can have a decrease in biotin (a necessary cofactor for many enzymatic reactions) because of avidin. However, the yolk has plenty of biotin in it and will balance out the amount of avidin in the whites.

Answer 4

I generally use either cod liver or halibut liver oil capsules. I had Labs for years, who tend to have dry skin, especially in the winter. So they got a capsule every day on top of their food. That gave them soft skin and glossy coats within 3 or 4 weeks. I've had several rescue dogs who had been starved and were emaciated. Sometimes it's hard to get them to eat properly, so I dumped a can of sardines, oil and all, over their supper. No problem then! I haven't met a dog yet who didn't love sardines. So they get all the benefits of the oils and have a treat as well. As long as you don't mind fishy kisses!

Answer 5

You can try to give her baths with a dog shampoo with oatmeal in it. Fresh and Clean makes a nice soothing shampoo with oatmeal and baking soda that has a wonderfully clean smell that lasts.
Dry skin can be helped internally as well by feeding a good quality food like Nutro, Hund n Flocken or Canidae. You can add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to her food twice daily. Dry skin can take some time to heal, so be patient.
If there is itching associated with it, or dandruff - see your vet. These could be signs of allergies or other biological problems that may need to be addressed.

Answer 6

Make a vet appt. and see if there is something wrong with the dogs skin other than it being dry. Also really check the kind of food your feed him. He may have a allergy that is making his skin dry. There are good shampoo out there to help relieve dry skin. I like the oatmeal ones. Since it's winter their skin drys out quickly. Brush you dog daily. Cod liver is a good choice but there are better ones too. Please check with your vet before going any further. OK

Answer 7

First only bath about once every two months, using oatmeal shampoo. And look into some better dog foods. You want something where the fist ingrediant is chicken meal or lamb meal. Look for something with a high amount of fatty acids. There are some skin and coat formulas you can get too and some conditioning sprays you can get for your dogs coat as well. Good luck.

Answer 8

Give her a moisturizing bath that has special conditioners for her dry skin. try hydropearls dog shampoo.. it helps maintain moisture and soothe dry flakey skin.. I used this to give clinic baths when I worked at the animal hospital! Works great... Dont giver her oil in her food it will up set her stomach and give her the runs.

Answer 9

Go to your local petstore, and buy some Oatmeal Shampoo and if want Oatmeal Conditioner. This shampoo and conditioner is specially made for dry skin, or skin allergies on dogs. I've seen it recommended by alot of people.

Answer 10

Only wash her once a month and with oatmeal shampoo. Brush her daily. The oatmeal soap will moisturize her skin and coat and washing once a month allows her to retain the natural body oils. Brushing distributes these body oils.