Lots Of Dandruff

[Guest Schoolnrs]

My male grey, Van, has areas of white scaly skin - on his side, back legs, and chest. It doesn't weem to be itchy. We give him fish oil every day. Does anyone have any ideas how to help him???

[CaliforniaGreys]

You'll get a lot of excellent suggestions here. The only thing that worked for my boy was EicosaDerm. It's formulated by Steve Melman DVM and I know he gets his fish oil from Norway. EicosaDerm is the Omega 3 fatty acids with vitamin E. The stuff has worked miracles for Wayne

Edited December 29, 2008 by cbudshome

[Guest SLM4956]

Did you try any of the sprays that can be used when brushing to reduce the dryness?? One of my friends put a dob of Olive Oil on her habds and rubs into the coat. The heat inside in the Winter dries me out, I imagine it would dry Van's skin out too

Lots of luck!!

 

Note to self:Shoudln't use the fancy fonts if you can work them right

Edited December 28, 2008 by SLM4956

[shel0306]

I was told by a friend to try Head and Shoulders but make sure it is the 2 n 1 that has shampoo and conditoner in one bottle. It worked great on my Greyhound and Swissy who tend to get dry skin in the colder months. Of course I only bathe every 6 months or so but after the first bath their hair and skin looked great. A lot of people might not like the idea of using a human shampoo but it works and I have passed the secret off to many dog owners, some Greys and some not, and they always come back and say how great it is for dryness. Smells great too!

[Sighthounds4me]

First thing I would try is a humidifier, assuming you live in a cold climate. Indoor heating is very drying to skin - I know I am using a ton of lotion on my own skin this year.

 

Next, you can look into supplementation with something more than fish oil. That is a good start, but often, there is not enough to make much of a difference. I like Hair of the Dog as a supplement. It is a balanced supply of Omega fatty acids, and really helps improve skin and coat condition, as well as general health.

 

You can also try a spray leave-on conditioner designed for dogs. I like several brands, but the most readily available include Vet's Best and Miracle Coat - both available at bix box stores. Spray them on very generously, and massage into the skin. (I don't like using human productson dogs. The pH is different, and can cause additional problems. In addition, dandruff shampoos developed for humans can often strip the natural oils, and dry the skin further.)

 

And, as has already been mentioned, daily brushing with a curry type brush is greyt. It'll help distrubute the natural oils more, and therefore keep the skin moisturized.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Sighthounds4me

[Guest RocketDog]

Rocket had BAD flakies like that when we brought him home. A good diet, supplemented with plenty of fish oil, helped from the inside out. Miracle Coat leave-in conditioning spray helped from the outside in! It's got tea tree oil and some other good stuff in it, just spray him down with it and work it into his skin with your hands or a hound glove. You can find it at PetSmart/PetCo with the grooming aids

[Burpdog]

How long have you had him? If he is a recent addition, it could take up to 6 months to stop the shedding.

 

Fish oil caps and a good food is all that is required

 

edited to add: by shedding, I mean skin, not hair. Either way, it's about 6 months!

Edited December 29, 2008 by Burpdog