Doggie dandruff & dry, itchy skin

[Kashi]

The lady we got Bo from mentioned that she had an issue with being itchy, and boy was she ever right about that. Poor Bo spends quite an amount of time scratching, and she's got a nasty case of doggie dandruff.

She was on Alpo dry food for 4 months before we got her, and nobody knows what prior to that.

Now, she's getting raw in the AM, and Canidae kibble in the PM.

I'm sure that a change to a higher quality diet will be beneficial in the long run, but doesn't help the poor girl in the here and now.

I've given her a bath with a shampoo/conditioner combo, and a few good thorough brushing outs as well. She looks wonderful except for all the little white flakes.

Can I top her kibble with some olive oil ? Would that help ? Or should I look for a fish oil - cod liver maybe - or sardines (can I use the canned ones, or are they too high in salt ? ).

Heck - I'm half tempted to douse her with my hubby's Head and Shoulders shampoo Not so sure that that is a good idea, since it's not a dog shampoo though. I need a Head and Haunches shampoo

[Frenchy]

You could add frozen sardines to her raw breakfast. If you can find them (no stores sell them in my area )

[K9 Love]

What kind of dog is Bo?

Roxy was a constant intcher to. She would "snarf" at herself so loudly (particularly above her tail by her butt) that it would wake us up in the middle of the night. She was wet back there all the time. Obviously fleas was our first thought. I try to stay away from topical treatments if I can, but they all went back on Advantage.

We ended up having a skin biopsy done and it turns out she had a skin condition that was only worsened by what ended up being a food allergy. Large hunks of dandruff on a black coat is disgusting! LOL. She would always go between our legs wanting us to scratch her butt, nice huh? LOL

I used a Herbal Mist Tea Tree Oil to help ease her itching while we figured it all out and it worked very well. Relatively inexpensive too.

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/produc...ID=0&pf_id=285

I applied it very liberally once a day, and rubbed it in right down to the "scalp", lol. Another product that worked well for us, but it's a bit more expensive is Eqyss products.

http://www.eqyss.com/pet_microtek_spray.asp

And lastly, what we use now that we've identified her skin issue, seborrhea, we use an anti-fungal shampoo that we get at the vets once a month. I can't find a picture but I think it's by Vet Solutions, Canadian Medicated shampoo.

If your feeding a good diet I don't think adding olive oil or fish oil would help specifically with this problem but it doesn't hurt. My guys get a liberal amount of herring oil every night.

When I hear itching, scratching and dandruff, I immediatley think skin conditions, allergies and hypothyroidism, not diet IF there's a high quality food already being fed. All of which in the last 6 months my bitch has been diagnosed with. Maybe she just needs an anti-fungal bath every few weeks.

Good luck, I hope you get it all figured out!

[Kashi]

Originally Posted by K9 Love

What kind of dog is Bo?

Your guess is as good as mine on that.

[K9 Love]

OH yes! Maybe then Doberman is a possible breed in her mix as these types of skin conditions are quite common in Dobes. I know seborrhea, what my bitch was diagnosed with is commonly seen in Dobermans. The dry kind not the greasy, oily type.

http://www.upei.ca/cidd/Diseases/der.../seborrhea.htm

[growler~GateKeeper]

You can try Grizzly Salmon Oil or Omega 3 fatty acid capsules with her food.

My Dal x Lab had not only Flea Allergy Dermatitis but also Sebboreah & I found the Omega 3 capsules helped immensly (that was before I knew about the salmon oil), currently I am using the Grizzly on my cat for non-coat related reasons.

[ScottieDog]

I have an itchy Scottie. One thing that helps with his dry skin is to run a humidifier in the room where we sleep. It really tends to cut down on his scratching. It is something simple you could try to supplement your other treatments.

[Karin]

Try using a teaspoon of safflower oil in her food twice a week. There is no overnight remedy, give it at least 2 weeks for any remedy to work before you decide.

(Most grocery stores carry safflower oil)

[Kashi]

We've only had Bo a week, so she's only been off of Alpo for that long - I'm hoping that that alone will make a difference for her.

I know there is no quick fix - I don't expect one. Good food, and regular grooming are going to be what make the biggest difference for her I'm sure.

But I want to thank you all for your suggestions so far.

[rainbow]

I am sure you will notice a big difference with the raw feeding. I would consider changing her pm meal from Canidae to a grain free kibble though.

Also, as Growler suggested, salmon oil would be a good supplement to add. If you can't get the Grizzly Oil then a regular salmon oil supplement is okay. If it doesn't have vitamin e included then add it as well 2 to 3 times a week. Cod liver oil is not a good choice as it is high in vitamin a which can be dangerous if oversupplemented.

Another option would be coconut oil available at the health food store. Make sure it says "organic & extra virgin" on the label. It tastes good and dogs love it.

[Kashi]

We have tried Pugsley on Wellness Core in the past - he did okay for a while, but when we tried a bag of the Wellness Core Ocean, he had the worst diarhea for about 2 weeks. His stomach and digestion issues cleared up when we switched him to Canidae.

And while I know that this part will be looked down on by many here, cost is a very real concern for us. And Canidae is something we can both afford AND feel good about feeding to the dogs.

[rainbow]

I have heard/read that a lot of dogs do not do well on Wellness CORE or Innova EVO. I think it may be because of the higher fat content. Wellness CORE has a low fat formula.....you could give that a try.

Also, Champion Pet Foods, the makers of Orijen and Acana have come out with a new grain-free low fat formula called Acana Provincial if you want to check it out:

www.championpetfoods.com

I prefer their products as they are not only Canadian but they are manufactured in their own plant which means alot nowadays.

[Kashi]

Originally Posted by rainbow

I have heard/read that a lot of dogs do not do well on Wellness CORE or Innova EVO. I think it may be because of the higher fat content. Wellness CORE has a low fat formula.....you could give that a try.

Also, Champion Pet Foods, the makers of Orijen and Acana have come out with a new grain-free low fat formula called Acana Provincial if you want to check it out:

www.championpetfoods.com

I prefer their products as they are not only Canadian but they are manufactured in their own plant which means alot nowadays.

I will certainly check that one out - thank you.

I love supporting Canadian products and companies whenever I can.