Help ! For a dry, itchy dog ...

[hippiechick]

The dry winter air is making HippieDog Hank an itchy boy !

I've cut down on bathing him unless absolutely necessary, and give him an occassional cooked egg and bacon fat mixed in with his food.

My apartment is gas heat, so even with a humidifier running all the time, he's scratching himself raw in a couple spots. Neosporin helps a little, but not much.

I used alot of flea/tick shampoo on him last summer and wonder also if that totally threw off his body chemistry ?

Anyone have any hints ?


Thanks !!!

[disillusioned1]

1. What I have learned

1. Check for fleas
2. Buy better food (human grade is the best), takes 3 months to see a difference
3. Have his thyroid checked

[hippiechick]

2. Thanks ~

He's on Advantage drops, and I brush him pretty regularly & don't see anything, so no fleas.

The itching has just started within the last 6 weeks - since the winter weather really set in and I've had to run my heat consistently.

Hank's +5 years old and this is the first time I've noticed him with any kind of skin issues.

[luzdeluna]

3. I use Derma Caps ES Liquid

Here is a link to a site that carries it. I'm sure many dog supply sites sell it. Honestly, it really works. I hope the link works. http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=10165&SP=&WT=...


ldl
p.s. it takes a week or so to make a difference

[sleepyhead]

4. Yeah, you will want to use a fatty acid supplement.

Derm-Caps ES and 3V Caps are both good. Make sure he is eating a good high-end diet (no generics or store brands). Try to minimize shampooing (no more than every 3-4 weeks if needed). Flea/tick shampoos are very drying and should not be used. When the weather warms up, use Advantage or Frontline TopSpot for flea/tick control - much less irritating to skin. See if you can find HyLyt moisturizer spray and use that every few days or so. If he is really itchy and miserable, you might want to try an antihistamine like Benedryl to take the edge off while the fatty acids are kicking in (check with your vet for an exact dose). Brush him vigorously as often as you can to stimulate the skin oils. If none of this works, get his thyroid checked.

[hippiechick]

5. Thanks to you both !

Hank says thanks, too !

[radfringe]

6. derma-caps etc are good

also adding a couple of tablespoons of corn oil to food, or giving the pooch a cod liver oil pill everyday

Our greyhound has itchy skin and dandruff -- in addition to the food supplements -- I also give him a regular bath with medicated shampoo and rinse him with a mixture of Skin-so-Soft and water or Alpha-Keri oil and water

it's about 1 capfull or two squirts of the skin-so-soft/alpha-keri to a gallon of water. After rinsing off the shampoo, I rinse him again with the skin-so-soft and water and work it down to his skin. Works good

You may have to adjust the proportions depending on the size of the dog.

[livetohike]

7. A second vote for vegetable oil

I always put 1 T. of canola oil over my dogs' food every day during the winter months when we lived in PA.

Scrambled eggs are a good supplement too and the dogs loved them .

[kaitykaity]

8. Try Scalpacin.

It's for scalp itch, but our dog used to have
terrible itch, and this stuff is quick and easy,
tries almost on contact.

She loved it.

[LuLu550]

9. bath him with

oat meal shampoo when you do bathe him. Also, don't be afraid to brush him regularly, get the oils worked out from the skin.

[InvisibleTouch]

10. One of mine is having the same problem.

The dry air is awful, and I'm noticing it more this year than previous years, too.

Been giving mine some added olive oil in her food, plus ground flax seeds (omega-3 fatty acids).