My golden retriever has very dry skin. Can anyone tell me what to do to try to heal his problem skin?

Question

His skin is so dry that it looks like he actually has dandruff. He has not been neutered, and he is constantly getting hot spots. I have had him to the vet numerous times, and they give him antibiotics and antihistamines that help, but when the meds are done, it's back to square one. I would really like some advice from someone who knows about goldens and their special needs.
Thanks!

Answer 1

So far you have recieved some helpful answers, however I am certain that the root of your Golden's problem is his diet.
It is very important to scrutinize the label and check the ingredients. Even some so called 'premium' pet foods contain questionable ingredients. I am almost certain that your pet's problem stems from some kind of corn byproduct in his chow.
Corn by-products are used by pet food companies as filler and a cheap protien source. Stay away from any food that has corn anywhere in the ingredients. Even so called premium brands like Iams, and Eukanuba have corn by-product.I would not reccomend lamb based pet foods either, dogs with sensitive skin can have problems with it. Try a Chicken based kibble such as Wellness. A great alternative if you cant afford 40 dollars for a 40 pound bag of Wellness is Costco's Super Premium brand.
It does not have any corn by-product and has great additaves like mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) and omega 3 and 6. Both of these ingredients are excellent for skin and coat maintnance. Also, try not to bathe your dog to often. Every 90 days or longer is best.
The chemicals in dog shampoos rob the dogs skin and coat of vital oils that protect it and keep it glossy. A whole raw egg is a good treat that is beneficial to coat maintnance, every now and then you should treat your dog to a salmon steak, your pet will love it and the Salmon is swimming with omegas 3 & 6 and other fatty acids. Another alternitave is the B.A.R.F. diet, or bones and raw food. Dogs with skin issues usually respond well to this diet,
but it is not for a novice and can be expensive. If you want to take the BARF road, find a pet nutritionalist who can help you formulate a diet for your pup.

Answer 2

Ok this may be a allergy of any kind. Golden's are prone to allergies, like MANY other dogs. Their are wonderful shampoo's and conditioners out ther that help with dry skin. Anything Oatmeal or is labeled hypoallergenic. Check out DRs. Forster &Smith on line for some or there are some you can get through your vets office. Bathe your dog only 1 time every 2 weeks and be sure to really dry him well. Not with a blow dryer this only promotes drying of the skin.
Take a really good look at his food too. Is it a quality food? Maybe it's time to but him on a food for dogs with sensitive skin!
I don't know about the tuna thing (major bad doggie breath) but some kind of omega 3 fatty oil I think may help.

Hope these ideas help!

Oh yes! Skin problems are something dogs develope they DO NOT inheret these issues. So if you don't know what your talking about then Shhhhh!!!!

Answer 3

Dandruff is a tough call. If you have your golden on prednisone or some other steroid for alleergies then it probably needs to be a continual maintenance drug.

Adding fish oil (tuna) to your pet's food will improve it's skin condition. Bacon grease will help too. Also, look at what your feeding him. A generic food will make a difference. Try Nutro Max for a healthy coat and skin. An oatmeal based shampoo can help soothe problem skin just like a human's. There are some off the shelf things too. Try Doctors Foster & Smith for some good products.

Answer 4

I don't have a golden but I do have a dog with skin allergies/problems.

I gave her some of this omega 3 oil for a while. You can get it at any pet store. But that got kind of expensive and changed to coconut oil, which seems to work well too. It usually will make their coats shinier and help with the scratching. But it can take up to 3 weeks before you see a difference.

Put a tablespoon in their food each day. They love it.

There are also steriod shots they can get at the vet, but I have heard it eventually can damage the liver so you would't want to do that more than once a year.

You may also want to try changing food. Food allergies are the most common reason for scratching/itching.

Answer 5

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First you have to learn why he is having such dry skin. The food sounds fine. Have you given him a bath lately?? Golden's of any age need to have a good bath with Oatmeal shampoo and a conditioner. The most important thing with Golden's or any double coated dogs it not so much in the soaping up but with the rising off. You MUST rinse your pup off very, very well. Golden's will retain alot of the shampoo in their coats if it is not rinsed out properly. It will dry their skin out and cause flaking. To make sure it is actually dry skin first I advise you to get your pup to the vets to make sure its just that, no underling problem. If it is just dry skin then you can use the Oatmeal shampoo or perhaps your vet will tell you of another medicated shampoo to use on your pup. Remember to rinse, rinse the dog. Good luck with your Godlen pup.

Answer 6

If his only problem is dry skin (no allergies), the best thing to give him is a salmon oil capsule daily. My dogs get one, especially in the very dry winter weather, every day and their skin and coats show an enormous difference. If you don't want to buy that, a tablespoon of veg. oil on his food daily will also help tremendously. The other thing is to be careful you don't bath too much because it doesn't matter what kind of shampoo you use, bathing dries their skin badly.

Answer 7

Dry skin is common with labs, too. One thing to try is about three squirts of fish oil on his dog food. They sell a product like it in the pet stores, but it's still basically fish oil. Our vet said that in a pinch, any type of cooking oil would work.

Answer 8

i have a golden mix.. i use to have the same problems and its worse in the winter but use a dog shampoo with oatmeal u can get it at the pet store for about 8 dollars it works great for dry skin and dandriff and the hot spots there is a spray you can also get at the pet store something called no more spots about 10 dollars works wonders.

Answer 9

I know someone who has a golden with dry skin, although not to the same extreme. He was told to give the dog lamb based foods. I guess it is supposed to be good for the skin.

Answer 10

Diet can be important to the skin. Look for a dog food specially formulated to nourish the skin. These usually have a little higher fat content than regular foods. There are also supplements sold for this purpose.