I have a black lab and he has a dry skin

[calderon_robby]

I have a black lab and he has a dry skin problem where he flakes i was wondering what i could do to help him? He is two years old and very friendly but i don't know if the dandruff problem bothers him could it be the food or what and is there any remedies other wise than medicine from stores like petco.he does itch himself during the night but i don't know what that means and he eats ol roy high performance dog food with omega 6 fatty acids any other suggestions.

[Delyla]

Take him to a vet could be allergies from food or meds or the shampoo you use on him better be safe than sorry. Phone call to the vet is free

[Teri C]

before going to the vet, or spending lots on special food, try some suave regular conditioner at bathtime...this has always helped with my dogs...its good for their skin and coat anyways! good luck

[Agilityshelties]

Check to see if his food has corn or wheat in it. It often causes allergies. Also, you can add Bravo Salmon Oil to his food. It will give him a beautiful coat! Healthy and shiny. At his age he should not have any kind of dandruf problemYou didn't mention the kind of food you feed, but if it is from a grocery store, it is probably low quality. Go to your local pet supply and tell them you want a high quality food with no corn, wheat or fillers. The first ingredients should be meat(chicken, lamb) meal. go to dogfoodanalysis.com. It will tell you what is good and bad about the current food you are feeding and you can see what else is available that might be better and why. BTW, I feed Canidae and give salmon oil three times a week.good luck

[Jiminy]

Add fish oil caplets and Vitamin E to his food. Start with 1 per day for a week. Then give fish oil twice a day. (Otherwise he could get diarrhea).ADD: Oooh, I would feed him something better than Ol Roy. This is probably why he's having skin problems. I feed my allergy prone dog Natural Balance. It's not extremely expensive, but is still a good quality food. I know you probably did not know that Ol Roy is not a very good dog food. Once you switch, I think you will see a big difference :)

[prince l]

I bet that your dog gets worse during the winter and that the majority of the problem is along the spine and at the base of the tail I use coconut oil on mine you will find it in the grocery store with the cooking oils it has a low heat smoke factor and it melts with no more than your body heat Take an Eyedropper or a nasal sprayer that the top will come off of and fill it with the oil place it in hot water to melt t then apply it along the skin this will help to keep the oil from getting on the fur it is all natural so your dog will enjoy the taste BUT if it is all over the dog it might be sariasis and that will need medicine to fix.

[Nicola J]

It could be the food. My dobie can't eat Iams, b/c it gives her dandruff. On Purina ONE, she doesn't have dry skin at all. But on Iams, it was very noticable--due to her black coat. It could also be how often you're bathing her. If it's more than once every 3 weeks, then frequent baths could be the culprit. If this is the case, there is a bath oil spray by Hylyt that you can use, and you should switch to a soap free shampoo and cut down on the baths. When I worked for a vet (which I did for several years), I saw one lab mix that had been given baths multiple times a week. By the time she was a year old, her skin was so dry that they thought something was severly wrong with her. And some of her hair was falling out. If you are not bathing her too much, I'd try switching her food(remember to to this gradually as not to upset her stomach. switching food usually takes about 6 days), but you can also give her Fatty Acid supplements. I know they can be purchased at a veterinarian's office, but I don't know if you'll be able to find them at Petco.Of course, if the dandruff is really bad, you should get him in to see his vet.Good luck!

[Agility Man]

1. Dog foods that are low in protein and low in fat produce a flakier skin and more itching. Additionally, dog foods with corn or wheat in them produce allergies which leads to itching. The simpliest solution is to first make sure he's eating a food with at least 30% protein, 20% fat and no corn or wheat.2. Do not use human shampoo on dogs. They have different pH values and human shampoo (even dandruff shampoo) will encourage dry skin and flaking. You've got to use a shampoo specific for dogs.Try those two approaches before you do anything with a vet.

[lrfoster7]

take him to the vet and see what the vet says about it. hope it clears up soon for your baby dog. goodnight.........