Dry Skin

[Holly Doodle]

We have just started to notice that Holly has white flakes all over her fur. When looking closer we saw that her skin is so dry! We haven't bathed her since we got her groomed, which was the week before Thanksgiving. We do use puppy bath wipes that resemble baby wipes about every other day to freshen her up. Her food has a lot of Vitamin E in it too. I tried searching the forum and found info on adding oil to the food. I just feel so bad for her because she's constantly itching and biting at her fur. Any suggestions would be great!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Laci, try adding fish oil (pump or capsules) or evening primrose oil capsules to Holly's diet; Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids are very beneficial for dry skin & itching.
With the dry heated indoor air in winter, a lot of us are itchy! Using a humidifier helps, too.

[Holly Doodle]

Thanks Karen, we'll give that a try! I can't wait until spring is here, I'm sure Holly feels the same way :).

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

Hey Laci! We had this same problem with Timbow. Adding fish oil to her food should work like a charm! It did for us. :-)

[Julie B.]

I would quit using the puppy wipes. They can have alcohol in them to help with drying and that will cause dry skin and itching. Puppies really shouldn't be bathed much at all and letting them get a bit grungie probably helps keep their coat.

[Holly Doodle]

Wow, I didn't think of that...I just looked and they do have alcohol in them. Thanks!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We have started using Evening Primrose Oil and it has shockingly, visibly helped our Springer Spaniel's fur. He was quite flaky and dull-coated and now is sleek and shiney. I think the dramatic difference showed quickly because Springers have very short fur on their backs and it is very easy to see the dandruff.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Adding the fish oil is great and natural. My vet also gave me a hydrocortisone and oatmeal spray (Relief HC) to use on the worst spots which are usually his lower legs and paws. It does provide temporary relief and he stops biting. Apparently the dry heat is the real culprit. I also gave up using the wipes to clean his paws when he comes in for the Winter. Now I just use warm water.

[F, Calla & Luca]

You could also massage some oil into her skin and wipe off the excess.

[Denise U]

My Lola has this issue and each time now that she gets groomed, she now gets oatmeal shampoo and also gets a hot oil treatment. See if your groomer offers that service. That has taken care of her dry skin ever since.

[Nugget's Family]

We add salmon oil in a pump bottle to Nugget's breakfast each day and evening primrose oil to her dinner and it helps. We (unfortunately) have hot air heat and when it is on a lot, we notice she seems itchier. The salt on the roads is a problem for her feet, too. We try to wash them off with plain warm water and then dry them well when she comes in from a walk. We also try to have her walk in the snow as much as possible and not in the road. With our dog, infrequent baths but frequent trims seem to work best. I groom her myself and keep her fluffy but not too long...about an inch and a half. I think their fur holds onto stuff in the air that may aggravate their skin, so if their hair is cut frequently, the aggravating stuff is cut-off. Just a theory. We have an itchy dog and she's better when her hair is a bit shorter, so whatever keeps her happier! :-)

[Holly Doodle]

We took Holly to the groomer and got a medicated bath with deep conditioning. We also started to add a small amount of oil to her food at dinner. Her skin looks 100% better and the flakes are all gone and it's only been a few days!! Thank everyone for the great advice!