Dog Dandruffy?

Question

my adult chihuahua/yorkie mix is 5 pounds, and has really dry, flaky skin. no matter what shampoo/conditioner i use (and believe me, ive tried better stuff than i us on my hair, from pert, to organic deep cleansers!), he still has chronic dandruff! ive tried blow drying to(he hated it!), but no result, except that he was huffy with me! i try to brush him ot as much as possible, but nothing works. i like him to look clean and showy-like, but the flakes of skin ruin the effect. HELP!

oh, btw, i feed him really good, vet recommended food, and i have asked my vet about using human shampoos: she said it was not the greatest, but OK. i dont overbath him, and he gets the dandruff all year round.

um, i live in a small town: no dog groomers or salons, nothing.

Answer 1

Are you feeding him a good quality food? If you are, and this is still a problem add a teaspoon of olive oil to his food a day. This works wonders. Try to keep from shampooing him too much as this remves his natural oils and when you do add some oatmeal to his bath.

Answer 2

Flakey skin can be caused by MANY things. It could be his diet. Are you feeding a high-quality food that is high in protein? Perhaps he needs a fatty acid supplement (omega-3 fatty acids are best).
Could just be dry skin, especially this time of year. Winter tends to bring on dry skin (for dogs AND humans!).
When you wash him, what products are you using? Are you making sure to rinse him completely? Are you, perhaps, over-bathing him? As long as you're using high-quality products that add moisture to the skin and coat, it's not a problem. But if not, you could be drying him out MORE. You should shampoo him with a mild shampoo (either a hypo-allergenic puppy shampoo, or even Johnson&Johnson baby shampoo), rinse, THEN follow up with a good conditioner for dogs. You can also purchase some Aveeno colloidal oatmeal, and make a rinse from that (which is good for dry skin, and itchy skin). Just add about 2 teaspoons of it per gallon of water.
It could also be something more of a medical nature. Is it plain white, dry flakes? Or are they tinted more brownish/yellowish? Does it feel oily/greasy or have any odor? If so, it's more then likely a skin disorder or allergy that your vet can help you with.

Answer 3

First you should never use human shampoos on your dog as the dog has adifferent pH and not using products intended for dogs can result in the type of skin issues you are describing.

There are a number of potential causes other than shampoo that could be affecting your dog. One is overly active sebaceous glands which produce excess oil and resulting dandruff. So it's not necessarily "dry skin."

Your best bet is to check with your vet and possibly get a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. They should be able to diagnose the cause and prescribe a treatment plan.

Answer 4

umm yea the stuff for people ant the best for pets call up a local groomer and ask what thay would do they can prob get u some kind of stuff that will work better good luck

Answer 5

Try talking to a vet about changing his diet. His diet is missing something.

Answer 6

Johnsons baby oil and or a baby mosturiser (sorry cant spell)

Its worked on two of my old horses!

Hope it helps!!
Em

Answer 7

****NOT***** "dandruff"!!!!

Most likely a PARASITE (mite) called CHYLATIELA(sp.wrong but pronounced ky-la-te-ala).

Needs a ****PESTICIDE****,like advantage,etc. EASILY controlled!

Feed has NOTHING to do any PARASITE!!!& you can wash the poor thing to DEATH & not make any difference!

Answer 8

It can be dietary...

There are articles on http://www.theDivaDog.com
that discussess how nutrition plays a part of this problem.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 9

bacon grease helps with there coat but don't give it much or Salmon oil.