# dry itchy skin



## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

My Vet recommended increasing Ike's fish oil supplements by double to help with dry skin, he had a few flakes. It's been a particularly bad allergy season and Ike's been itchy so I give him benadryl, 2-25 mg caplets twice a day and bathe him with microtek shampoo once a week. There is also microtek spray that you can use between baths.
Hope this helps.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

My first thought is allergies and second thought would be thyroid imbalance.


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## cheryl-jake (Jan 15, 2008)

So you might be saying it may require a vet visit? Or can one try what the other poster said first?


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## cheryl-jake (Jan 15, 2008)

So these are people benadryls? Hes 45-50 pds


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## Doryann (May 12, 2011)

I am having the same problem with my pup. I read it could be the food? Is that true?


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Yes, human benadryl. Ike weighs about 75 lbs. You can call your Vet and ask what the recommended dose for your dog's body weight would be. I had Ike's thyroid checked since he had the dry flaky skin, but he is well within the normal range.


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## cheryl-jake (Jan 15, 2008)

update we got him to the vet today, I guess he had a tick in each ear the vet put him on Defend and prednisone for 30 days. I have no idea how he got the ticks!! We were checking his whole body BUT not the ears!!!


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

I'm glad you found the tic and hope that solves your problems. You def. need to watch the ears, especially during the spring and fall (allergy season) and should try to clean them frequently.

Mulligan has a similar coat issue. We recently adopted him and are hoping that having him on a premium food will help. Daily brushing and a few baths (first one because he was stinky, second with flea shampoo because we found those pesky buggers) have already helped to soften his coat and he's been home just short of two weeks. He still has doggy dandruff, but again, we're hoping that with the proper care (good food, baths, brushing, etc.) it will work itself out. We have a vet visit on Monday so we'll see what they say.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

Omega 3's are best. Fish oil is good for the skin and coat but other (plant) Omega 3's (ALA) can work better for the skin and coat. Flaxseed, avocado, soy, pumpkin, spinach, and oats to name a few. There are foods that have these ingredients. There is one with Nutro called ULTRA Large Breed Puppy if you want to check it out and read reviews. Nutro is one of the only foods (if not the only) that guarantees the health of the skin and coat.
http://www.ultraholistic.com/large-breed-puppy-food.html

It could certainly be from the food and could be an intolerance to a certain ingredient. One of mine can not touch lamb. It happens. Limited Ingredient diets can help you pinpoint. Let me know if you have questions.


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## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

desi.n.nutro said:


> There is one with Nutro called ULTRA Large Breed Puppy if you want to check it out and read reviews. Nutro is one of the only foods (if not the only) that guarantees the health of the skin and coat.
> http://www.ultraholistic.com/large-breed-puppy-food.html


Although I respect your opinion and know that their are vast differences of opinions on food, I have to agree to disagree. The third ingredient is corn... a common allergen that is eliminated from most all premium foods.

Here's another review on Nutro Ultra Holistic Large Breed Puppy. 
Dog Food Reviews - Nutro Ultra Holistic Large Breed Puppy - Powered by ReviewPost

I'm guessing from your name that you may be affiliated with the brand. I understand that we all have brand loyalty- to the extent of what works with our dogs- and am just offering a second opinion.


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## artbuc (Apr 12, 2009)

desi.n.nutro said:


> Omega 3's are best. Fish oil is good for the skin and coat but other (plant) Omega 3's (ALA) can work better for the skin and coat. Flaxseed, avocado, soy, pumpkin, spinach, and oats to name a few. There are foods that have these ingredients. There is one with Nutro called ULTRA Large Breed Puppy if you want to check it out and read reviews. Nutro is one of the only foods (if not the only) that guarantees the health of the skin and coat.
> http://www.ultraholistic.com/large-breed-puppy-food.html
> 
> It could certainly be from the food and could be an intolerance to a certain ingredient. One of mine can not touch lamb. It happens. Limited Ingredient diets can help you pinpoint. Let me know if you have questions.


Moderator, please delete this shameful Nutro spam. Dogs do not efficiently convert ALA to usable DHA. If your dog has an Omega 3 deficiency, it is much better to supplement with EPA/DHA.

http://www.omega3learning.uconn.edu...ated-fatty-acid-formation-in-the-cat-and-dog/


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## maquignon (Dec 23, 2009)

artbuc said:


> Moderator, please delete this shameful Nutro spam. Dogs do not efficiently convert ALA to usable DHA. If your dog has an Omega 3 deficiency, it is much better to supplement with EPA/DHA.
> 
> Variations in polyunsaturated fatty acid formation in the cat and dog | Articles | Veterinarians | Diet & Health | International Omega-3 Learning and Education Consortium for Health and Medicine


I wholeheartedly agree!! These Nutro shills get two hours brainwashing from another person who knows nothing and then call themselves "pet nutrition specialists" and they know absolutely NOTHING about nutrition. Then the Nutro company itself uses half truths and even blatant lies in their advertising.


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## cheryl-jake (Jan 15, 2008)

We have only ever fed him holistic eagle pack chicken and rice. it has omega in it but can you get pills for dogs to take as an extra?


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

ebenjamin85 said:


> Although I respect your opinion and know that their are vast differences of opinions on food, I have to agree to disagree. The third ingredient is corn... a common allergen that is eliminated from most all premium foods.Here's another review on Nutro Ultra Holistic Large Breed Puppy. Dog Food Reviews - Nutro Ultra Holistic Large Breed Puppy - Powered by ReviewPostI'm guessing from your name that you may be affiliated with the brand. I understand that we all have brand loyalty- to the extent of what works with our dogs- and am just offering a second opinion.


Thanks for the respectful reply. I am happy to see another opinion and yes I am a Trainer and Pet Nutrition Specialist for Nutro. I liked looking through the site (Dog Food Reviews) but the information on NUTRO is out-dated. The ingredient list has changed but Nutro never has corn meal or ground yellow corn. Corn gluten is different. 

Did you agree with the benefit of Omega's however? Food or supplement? I have found both to help the dogs from the effects of the dry Colorado air. I gave my dogs a pool once and had to work on "fixing" their coats for a year and an Omega supplement helped them a lot.


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## desi.n.nutro (Mar 18, 2011)

cheryl-jake said:


> We have only ever fed him holistic eagle pack chicken and rice. it has omega in it but can you get pills for dogs to take as an extra?


That is a good food. It has fish oil, flaxseed, eggs, zinc. All good for the coat. The supplement we used was called Zoom Dog - Itchy Dog. We got it at a show so check to see if they sell it online. We loved it because it made them so soft and fluffy and less itchy. I would truely cover ingredients, of the food or supplement, with your Vet and get a Vet blessing that it isn't something more.


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## maquignon (Dec 23, 2009)

Corn gluten is different all right and it is much worse that corn meal or ground yellow corn. It is the protein part of the corn used by the lowest quality foods 
(Pedigree, Nutro, Beneful, Alpo, Black Gold, Goodlife, Friskies, Science Diet, Loyall, Pet Promise, Pro Plan, Purina Dog Chow, Purina One, Red Flannel, Royal Canin and WholeMeals) to boost the protein percentage with cheap, hard to digest plant protein. This is even by Nutro's admission "Completely gluten free – the grain component that’s hardest to digest" copied from their website advertising their grain free food. They also use other plant proteins: rice gluted and pea protein. So when you look at that protein percentage in the guaranteed analysis on a Nutro bag, remember that a big portion of that protein is not meat and it doesn't matter much how high the percentage is if your dog cannot digest it and it just goes out in the poop. Omega 3 is absolutely necessary for your dog to have a healthy skin and coat. What is really important is the balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3. Nutro has one of the worst ratios, as high as 20 to 1. To be "balanced" the ratio needs to be between 2 and 5 to one.


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