Dry Skin Treatments for Dogs K-9 - Mobile Veterinary Service

Dear Dr. Lee,

My dog’s skin seems to get dry, flaky and itchy in the colder months when we have to run the heat in the house. Is there anything I can do to keep him more comfortable?
E. M.

Dear E. M.,

First we should make sure the problem is dry skin, not oily or greasy skin, since both can cause dandruff in dogs. If the flakes are very large, you may be dealing with greasy skin and you should consider a trip to your Vet. If the flakes are very small, it is more likely dry skin. Dry itchy skin is a common problem in the winter time, both with people and animals.

Since applying moisturizing lotion to animals with fur is both difficult and messy, veterinarians tend to approach this problem from the inside out. Diet is the first consideration. It’s important to make sure your pet is eating a high quality diet, as inadequate nutrition can cause dry skin, along with a host of other problems. If your pet is dry and itchy despite a good diet, adding some oil to your pet’s food often does the trick. The question is which oil and how much? For very minor cases, you can try olive oil, ½ tsp twice daily for small dogs, and 1 tsp twice daily for larger dogs. If your dog is more than just mildly itchy though, olive oil alone may not do the trick.
Another oil often used for skin is flaxseed oil, but because dogs don’t process the fats in flaxseed oil as well as people do (and cats have an even harder time processing it), it’s in general not as helpful for animals as it can be for people. I prefer to use fish body oil to increase the moisture in the coat, and cut down on inflammation. There are many fish oil supplements available over the counter. Be careful to avoid the flavored ones, as the animals don’t usually like the citrus used to cover the fishy taste. Dose is very variable and depends on what else is going on with your pet etc. In general a large dog can safely have a 1000 mg capsule daily, scaling down from there based on weight. If in doubt, ask your Veterinarian.

A more natural alternative to the processed oils is to try feeding a whole sardine or two daily, depending on the size of your pet. They tend to love them, and they contain lots of nutritional benefits. I haven’t run across trouble choking on them, but it’s not impossible, so cut it up first if your pet is very small. Good Luck and Good Health.