Doodle dandruff

[Terry & Chris Ann]

12 week old Marley seems to have developed a case of Doodle dandruff. His food is 4health puppy formula and his shampoo is Fresh n Clean we got from our groomer. He's been bathed twice in the last three weeks. The shampoo is pretty diluted per the groomers recommendation. We just started noticing the dandruff in the past week. Any suggestions?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Puppy "dandruff" is not all that unusual. In puppies under 4 months old, the sebaceous glands have not yet matured enough to provide enough lubrication for the skin and coat but they do catch up.  But it's not a good idea to bathe any dog, especially a young puppy, so often, as it tends to dry out the skin and coat even more. I'd bathe him less (not more than once a month) and brush him more.

Omega 3 fatty acids can also help. 4health is not one of the foods on our recommended brands list. With any food, check the Omega 6:3 ratio. You want one that's 5:1 or less, the lower the better.  Oatmeal based shampoos can help, too, as this dry skin stage tends to be itchy for the pup 

[Terry & Chris Ann]

So would Fromm puppy gold be a better food for him?
We will definitely cut down on the baths. I'm sure Marley will be much happier without them anyway.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Yes, Fromm is on our recommended list.  When you bathe, be sure to rinse really, really well.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Fromm Puppy Gold would be a much better choice.