Winter Itchy

[Guest laddie4]

miller seems to get a bit itchier everyday. checked his hair thouroughly , no dander, but maybe a bit of dry skin to my untrained eye. with forced air heating , i'm pretty sure its just his body getting used to the indoor environment but any suggestions for what i can use to help him will be greatly appreciated.

 

[mareyeka]

I can't help you but I wanted to say OH my! What a gorgeous dog!

 

[MerlinsMum]

I hear you. Merlin's been itching a lot lately. He has dry skin to start with, and the dry air is making things worse. He licks his leg and bites it with his teeth a lot more than usual. Have you tried aloe vera?

[Guest Ola]

Yup, we get itchy and dry with the heat on also (both the humans and the dogs!). You could try a humidifier if you'd like. Also, I give my dogs fish oil capsules and I increase their dosage during the winter to compensate for the dry skin. I get mine at Costco but you could buy them at any pharmacy - just look for Salmon Oil or Fish Oil (which will have multiple kinds of fish in it). My grey normally gets 2 capsules per day but right now I'm giving him 4.

[Guest laddie4]

we're doing the fishoil thing, i will up his amount. is there actually a moisturizer brand that would be good to use on a dog? and of course not make him all goopy

[Sighthounds4me]

We find that a humidifier makes a huge difference!

 

In addition, you can do fish oil or other skin supplementation (but I see that you are doing that already).

 

As for moisturizers, you'll probably want to do one that is designed for pets, so it does not get them goopy. Sprays seem to work well. My favorite is Quicker Slicker by Nature's Specialies. It's tough to find, but SO worth it! I spray on liberally, then massage in, and let it sit (it is a leave-on conditioner).

 

I've also used the Lusterizer by Miracle Coat with good luck, and a conditioning spray from Vet's Best. They are more widely available, at places like Petco and Petsmart.

 

You can also use a rinse out conditioner when you bathe, much like you'd do with your own hair. I warm it first, buy placing the bottle in the sink with warm water (otherwise the dog gets shocked), but you don't have to. Then I apply it all over, and massage in (the dog LOVES this). Then I let it sit for at least 5 minutes, to really soak into the skin. Then rinse with lukewarm water.

 

For shampoos, I really like Plum Silky, also by Nature's Specialties. It's very highly concentrated, so I dilute a 16 oz. bottle into a gallon, then refill the bottle. But it's a conditioning shampoo, so it's also very good for the skin.

 

For conditioners, I like Aloe Re-Moisturizer or Oatmeal Creme Rinse, also by Nature's Specialties.

 

And no, I don't work for this company! I just have not found much I like better than this company!

[krissn333]

We take fish oil capsules here. Also Vitamin E capsules. Helps keep everyone from getting too itchy this time of year.