Stuff to help for itchy skin?

[Ladida]

I have read that Cod Liver oil, flaxseed oil, and olive oil help cure skin conditions. Which do you think works the best (and if you have another what is it?)? Which is the least fattening, and how much should I give?

[Ladida]

~b~u~m~p~!~

[Dax]

First I would try to find out why the skin is dry and itchy. For example, a thyroid condition will affect the coat. Vitamin A is supposed to be excellent for skin conditions and predisposition to certain skin aliments.

Also a lot would depend on the dog's unique chemistry. What works best for mine, might not be good for yours.

[BabyElephant]

If your dog has a skin/coat condition you should check with your vet. My dog is currently suffering from a skin infection and is losing her fur big time. She is on antibiotics for the skin infection and an evening primrose oil capsule for her fur & skin - but this is a special capsule especially formulated for dogs.

We are hoping that the skin infection is the cause of her losing her fur but if not she will have to have futher tests for thryroid and other conditions etc because as Dax says that can cause skin/coat problems too. Other things could be a reaction to something in her environment (new washing poweder for her bed etc).

If you give too much oil you can cause runny poop so I would check with your vet, I also feel that you need to try to find the cause rather than simply treating the symptoms.

[mara]

After ruling out any type of physical disorder I started giving my Boxer Omega 3-6-9-capsules. I take them myself. They combine fish oil like salmon and cod, flax seed oil and borage. I gave her 2 capsules a day and within a couple months her flaky, dry, itchy skin became soft and she stopped scratching. I give Mara a capsule a day and her coat and skin have always been good. I buy the capsules at the drug store or "bog-box"store. When she sees me reach for the bottle or if she hears the bottle shake she comes running and sits---to her it is a very special treat. She chews, shallows and licks her lips!!
Again, though, I waited until other causes were ruled out and discussed with my vet.

[Ladida]

He has been itchy for a really long time and has dry skin. The vet ususally just gives us stuff to put in his feed, but its very fattening too. Mister is getting older so he's not as energetic (not that he was before ), so he is on diet food and I was thinking that is why he is extra itchy, because they take the fat out in diet food. They are currently eating Avoderm which has no grains and flour etc. They also got "trimmed" for the summer, down to around one inch length which has grown to about 1.5-2 inches now. My mom guessed this could be contributing to the dry skin. They do need to go to the vet regardless, I was just trying to think ahead and also I know there are some things that could help (like flaxseed) and don't have any side effects (we give them to our horses too). Thanks though, I'll make sure to tell my parents!

[arfvol]

Try fish oil capsules, or if you want to stick with pet-only products, try DermCaps.

[twinkletoes]

My dobie has itchy flaky skin which looks pretty yucky an im sure people look at me as if to say you aren't looking after your dog .. Harvey was diagnosed wth a wheat/gluten intolernace an was put onto Hypoallergenic food ..its great as he has put on some much needed weight but the flaky skin thing is still hanging on .. i was advised to give cod liver oil but it can have a laxative effect if you give a too higher dose .. I found out the hard way lol!! Well it takes awhile to take effect but i have definatley seen some improvements with his coat ... i was also advised to use a prescription shampoo to try an lock moisture in his skin ..its for dogs with dry dandruffy skin and is free from perfumes etc ..basically its hypoallergenic.. it was called sebocalm an you can find it on the web and i ould definatley recommend it .. its great an works!

[Dobified]

Rudy is hypothyroid, he had flaky skin, but with that he lost a lot of his hair too. He was litterally going bald. He also put on a lot of wieght in a short period of time and was lethagic. If your dog is like that have him tested for hypothyroid.


I feed milled flax to my dogs all the time, you can also feed flax capsules. It is excellent for the skin and coat not to mention the benefits of omega 3 on the heart and the rest of the body. All around it is a wonder food for people, dogs and horses.

[Simon Says]

sometimes a good oatmeal bath really works, i worked in a grooming salon and this time of year it always rough!!!