My choc lab is starting to get dandruff--any remedies out there?

Answer 1

Is it flaking dry skin or oily? Look for shampoos that are for the specific type of problem or get a prescription one from the Vet.
You didn't mention what you feed your dog, but sometimes supplements help skin and coat like:
3V caps (skin formulation) for dogs which has Omega 3, Vit A, D and E in it and NutriVed for skin and coat.
I add that to my dogs diet.
Another thing to add if you can't get the other is a tablespoon of Norwegian Cod Liver oil mixed in the food and sprinkle some Brewer's Yeast over the food.
Bathe according to recommended frequency per Vet.
Look on the dogs food bag and see if the Linoleic Acid is at least 2 percent. If not, get another dog food that is at least that.
I know Nature's Recipe has about 4 percent. A dog or cat, no matter how old or size, has to have at least 2 percent or more of linoleic acid in the diet to maintain healthy skin and coat.
Nature's Recipe has a Venison and Rice blend that is great.
ProPlan highest concentrate of linoleic acid in their food is 1.6 which is NOT ENOUGH. And Science Diet - other than prescription diets- is about 1.3 or 1.6 (Comparison examples.)

Answer 2

Go to Petsmart or Petco and check if they have an oatmeal shampoo and condtioner. Bathe your dog in that and leave it on for about 5 min. Then rinse and conditon. Make sure to get ALL off the shampoo and conditioner out. Also I found that drying with a Hair Dryer helps keep dandruff at bay. Merry Christmas

Answer 3

High quality food.

Nothing you find at a grocery store is going to be a good food. High quality foods can be found at large pet store chains, or online. A couple of foods I like are Solid Gold, Innova, and Cannidae.

There are other high quality dog foods. Here's how to spot them:

A high quality food will have little or no fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. These aren't very digestable for dogs, and are common food related allergens. Since you were seeing corn meal in the first few ingredients, those are not high quality foods. Foods list ingredients by content, with the ingredient it contains most of at the top.

A high quality food will not contain BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, these are all chemical preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

A high quality food will not contain by-products of any kind. Meat meals are ok as long as the source of the meat is listed, such as Chicken Meal.

A high quality diet should have meat as at least the first ingredient., and be made from human grade ingredients. Foods that don't use human grade ingredients often get their ingredients from less than desirable sources, such as meat from animals that were diseased, or euthanized.

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.html

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1cat=286

Answer 4

Are you feeding him a high quality dog food or one from the grocery store or WalMart. You dog is what what you feed it.

Get a good oatmeal shapoo one that moisturises and a good conditioner. don't give your dog bath too often either. To much bathing will dry the dogs skin out and cause dandruff too. It strips the dog fur of all the skins oils it needs for a health coat.

Answer 5

My dog gets dandruff too. It seems that she gets it from most pet shampoos.

For some reason (I don't know the science behind it) the shampoo for white dogs works best on my black dog! I like Perfect Coat, white pearl. Actually any shampoo for white dogs that is purple in color works great on her.

Also, regular Dawn dish soap works wonders too! She doesn't get any dandruff after I use this.

Answer 6

crack a raw egg over its food.
I know it sounds weird but it really works. Caus it puts more oils into their hair and the more oil on the skin the less dandruff.. I really works. Trust me. I do it with my dog. It will also make their coats shinier and softer.

Answer 7

Nature's mircale spray deoderizer and dander remover it's at pet stores and pet co 7 dollars

Answer 8

It could be because you are washing him/her too often. You should only wash your dog about every six months. They have natural oils in their skin that when you wash them too often, get washed away, and their skin can become very dry as a result of this.

Answer 9

I wouldn't trust a home remedy, but that's just me. I'd ask my vet for advice.

Answer 10

wanna laugh? selsun blue. It's the only people shampoo you should really use on dogs, and it clears up dnadruff pretty well. Groomers and vets use it...