Always Itchy And Dry

[Azzachazza]

Hi DOL members

Little Nala has been scratching for a while now. Her coat is really dull and dry. So too is her skin. Pictured below, she has a double coat. Because she is on advocate monthly, i hope it would be safe to rule out fleas/lice/ticks/mange. Checked and did not see any evidence of this.

Nala is given a wash every couple of months. Not sure if its the right thing to do, but I've been trying to decrease frequency of baths cause of her problem.

Wondering if someone here could help and recommend a good shampoo, or a topical application that i could brush into her coat...

Thanks in advance

[poodlefan]

Skin condition often comes from diet. What do you feed her?

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Dermacare Oatmeal shampoo is a good general shampoo.

Is her skin a normal colour?, or is it a brownish/red, is she lethargic in any way?. Is so then perhaps her T4 levels need checking.?

I have a dog here who was showing the above symptoms, he has hypothyroidism and is now on thyroxine tablets.

[Azzachazza]

Skin condition often comes from diet. What do you feed her?

She is on Artemis fresh dry puppy at the moment. Gets plenty of raw bones too. (Chicken and lamb)

Dermacare Oatmeal shampoo is a good general shampoo.

Is her skin a normal colour?, or is it a brownish/red, is she lethargic in any way?. Is so then perhaps her T4 levels need checking.?

I have a dog here who was showing the above symptoms, he has hypothyroidism and is now on thyroxine tablets.

Yeah her skin appears normal. Nope not lethargic, very hyperactive actually

Edited December 21, 2009 by Azzachazza

[Sandra777]

Check T4

Add oily fish to her diet either in the form of canned sardines/mackeral or fish oil capsules (I'd give a 15kg dog an adult human dose, adjust that to suit) If you use sardines start slowly if she's not used to much of a varied diet.

Edited December 21, 2009 by Sandra777

[Azzachazza]

Check T4

Add oily fish to her diet either in the form of canned sardines/mackeral or fish oil capsules (I'd give a 15kg dog an adult human dose, adjust that to suit) If you use sardines start slowly if she's not used to much of a varied diet.

Thats a good idea. Might add some fish oil. What are your thoughts on raw fish? (sardines/mackerel)

[Kelly_Louise]

Chloe has Cushings disease and ever since her diagnosis has had dry, itchy skin intermittently.

We use 2 products called Resi-soothe and Epi-soothe. They can be used as a rub on or to bathe them in. We were also told by the vet to give her fish capsules daily to help - generally 2 day when it's really bad. We also use Aloveen shampoo as well for sensitive skin.

But I think that unless you find the reason for the irritation it will only cover up the itchies briefly, although it may just be a seasonal thing related to grass or similar.

Good luck - I know how frustrating and helpless you feel to see a dog constantly itchy and scratching (knowing it doesn't have fleas of course!).

[lillim]

there is also an omega 3 oil made specifically for dogs, we give this to our dog, an alternative to giving her fish oil and rosehip capsules, and it really helps keep her fur shiny and skin less flaky. It can take a while to see results but it really does work.

[Erny]

A change of diet could help - she just might not suit what you have her on. Fresh/raw is good.

Bathing every 2 months, IMO, is too frequent. Stripping skin and coat of natural oils. Try stopping the baths (brush regularly instead - that will help in keeping her coat clean).

I'm not saying hypothyroidism is the case, but lethargy is one of the signs that shows up LATER (when the thyroid is about 70% destroyed). In early onset thryoiditis, just because she is not lethargic, doesn't mean thyroidism is not the culprit.

Omega blend oil (Vets All Natural) is good to add into the diet. VAN also have a skin support product (additive) that you might like to look into to see if it would be suitable.

I presume she has been wormed? Or (as I do) had a worm burden count done to ensure there is not an over-burden?

I'm very 'in' to stopping and not using any chemical where I don't need to. These things (wormers; spot-ons; heartworm preventatives; shampoos; regular vaccinations) that we use ever so regularly as recommended by many Vets and of course the drug companies who sell it to you via their media advertisements, can create a pretty big chemical load for dogs to carry as well. I'm in Victoria and one of the good things about being here (at least there is SOMETHING going for us ) is that the incidence of heartworm is negligable and we don't have a tick problem. Where I live I don't have a flea issue. So I don't use spot-ons; I don't use heartworm preventative; I vary rarely bath my dog; I get worm burden counts done instead of just using chemical wormers 'just in case'; and I titre test instead of administering vaccinations.

What I'm suggesting is that you do away with any of these chemical preventatives that you can, depending on the area that you live in.

[wuffles]

We use a supplement called Omegapet, as well as a tin of sardines in oil twice a week (large dog). The other thing I've found that helps is brushing for about 5 minutes every day. It makes his coat look shinier and I notice if I've missed a few days that his skin definitely seems flakier. When I keep up the brushing routine I get comments from nearly everyone I meet about how lovely his coat looks.

When we bathe we use Aloveen although he still gets a bit itchier for a few days following, so we only do that when he's getting really stinky.

Edited December 22, 2009 by wuffles

[Sandra777]

Thats a good idea. Might add some fish oil. What are your thoughts on raw fish? (sardines/mackerel)

Raw fish is great if you can get a constant source of good quality fish. But be aware that if the dog isn't used to eating fish most of them will just stare at it then give you a "you're joking" look and walk off

[sas]

I'd be getting some Omega oils into her as well as Vit E.

When giving Omega oils, you need to make sure you're giving a balance of Omega 3, 6, 9, if you just give Omega 6 for example this can add to your problem.

Many Vet stores and health stores have combined Omega's, you could go for Emu Oil Capsuals and then you wouldn't have to give Vit E as well as Emu Oil already has Vit E in it.

Many dogs will just eat the Caps not problems if you just chuck them in their bowl, you generally don't have to hide them in food.

Mackrel, Sardenes once or twice a week can assist.

Have a look at the dogs diet, it may just not be suitable for your dog

Try a 2-5 minute grooming session everyday to encourage the dogs natural oils to come through and minimise bathing and when you do bath make sure you rince really well, any product that is left in the dogs coat can turn into what looks like Dandruff and cause irritation.

Alpha Kerry Oil, although a bit messy can assist, put a bit into your hands, rub together and work through the dogs coat....be care not to put too much on otherwise every bit of dirt will stick to the dogs coat as it will be oily.

A good shampoo and conditioner will assist as well, Aloveen is good if your dog isn't allergic to Oatmeal.

Edited December 22, 2009 by sas

[kevlar]

Haircoats which are dull, brittle, and dry often respond to supplementation with essential fatty acids, especially LA. It has also been found that in some cases of seborrhea, there is a deficiency of LA in the skin. In these cases, supplements high in LA are useful. The addition of EPA and GLA is also beneficial in that it would help negate the release of AA from cells damaged because of this skin condition.

From:Pet Education

also:

Fatty acids have been shown to be important in the health of skin, coat, joints, and other body systems. The various fatty acids have different actions and the choice of supplement needs to be based on the effect desired. For dry skin and dull hair coats, supplements high in LA are recommended. For allergies and inflammations, supplements high in EPA, DHA, and GLA are most effective. In the treatment of atopy and other allergies, fatty acid supplements have been shown to be synergistic with antihistamines and glucocorticoids, enabling the dose of glucocorticoids to be decreased. Therapeutic trials with fatty acid supplements should last 9-12 weeks.

For the conditions that your describing, sunflower oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil or evening primrose oil would be better. Linoleic acid is an omega 6 and EPA/DHA in fish oil is primarily omega 3. The amount of omega's that your adding, from either fish oil or corn oil isn't going to be significant to throw off your ratios. A tablespoon per day to start. If your dog has had pancreatitis then you should speak to your vet first. Good Luck!

Edited December 23, 2009 by kevlar

[pebbles]

It looks like your dog has a chocolate colour coat and just the sun can play havoc with some. My chocolate Min Pin girl spent summers being told to stay inside out of the sun. Her colour was normally a rich shiny chocolate but a few days between shows out sunbaking and she would end up a lovely burnt dry orange. Could be worth a thought as well as adding some oils to the diet.