Remedies for dog's dry skin

[seedcorn]

I'm taking none of the suggestions as an attack at me. Further info, he's a short haired dog.

We don't over bathe this dog. At first blamed this on him being in poison ivy but this time, he has been no where near the stuff.

Currently using mix of coconut oil, peppermint oil and olive oil. Will get a medicated soap. Using topical Meds on him now.

On his ears, it's not the inside or the folds where the rash is. It's on the inside and outside of his ears.

 

[Beekissed]

That was exactly my point also, Thistle. You won't find many old farm or country hounds with allergies to food and skin allergies out there....never met one yet. Only seen that in dogs that reside in the house, even just part time. A healthy build up of oils at the skin level~not just in the hair~and the dust layer that sticks to it, exposure to the rain, sun, snow and all the other things that naturally cleanse animals out on clean grass and soils seems to keep their skin and digestive tracts healthier. They eat things they wouldn't get in the home, exercise more, get dirtier and it all equals good health.

Same with cats with kidney problems...never saw that in outside cats, but have seen it plenty in homebound kitties. I had just such a one that someone gave me and said he had to stay inside and had to eat low ash feed because of his repeated renal problems. I kept him inside for a bit due to coming to a new home and sure enough, he was peeing blood and such....finally put him out of the house and he lived a healthy life thereafter, no more renal issues when he got to eat foods that were natural to his digestive needs~wild game.

Dogs just weren't meant to be soaped up all the time....wet, yes, but soaped up and stripped of their natural oils? Nah.

 

[Smart Red]

I am reading these tips for dogs with dry skin with interest. My Cee Cee begins itching just about this time each year and continues through the winter. I have changed her diet to fish and sweet potato -- no difference. I do not bathe her unless she plays catch with a skunk, so over-washing is not a factor. While her fur is shiny, she has flakes on her skin.

Fall is possibly the time of year that I am outside the most so Cee Cee is out much more in the fall. This has been a problem for her since I brought her home from the shelter where they had been treating her for "skin problems".

 

[journey11]

I don't know...just my theory, but aside from not roughing it much, house dogs & cats could be suffering the affects of the same household toxins we do that overload the liver, kidneys and adrenals. I don't think we realize just how much off-gassing there is from things like carpet, furniture/mattress fire retardants, paint, etc. Who knows what's in some of our food, our water, air anymore. These things add up and take their toll on the body. Same as in people. Some occasional outdoor exposure should still be enough to build a good immune system and gut bacteria, etc. Now my MIL's beagle, she actually was an outdoor dog with 30 acres to roam, never tied up. She still developed skin problems later in life. My orange tabby is an outdoor cat, only 2 years old. He has kidney/urinary tract problems and continually pees a little blood. It's hard to tell what causes it. Most outdoor pets don't usually live as long of a life either...get killed by coyotes, hit by car, catch infectious disease, fights/injuries, to name a few....

 

[seedcorn]

I've had dogs that live the same way as this one. They ate less nutritious foods than this one gets. Give this one any peanut product, watch his temp go up and rashes galore. The other dogs never had these problems.
I'm not down playing dogs living outside being healthy as I've had outside dogs but outside dogs don't get inspected like inside dogs.

 

[thistlebloom]

I was only giving an example of a couple of dogs we took care of. I'm not making any statements about indoor versus outdoor pets. Mine have always been outdoor with indoor visiting privileges. Long lived for the most part. We had a 100% outdoor cat that was over 17 years old. All of my dogs lived into their teens, except my JR who I lost to coyotes, which could have happened even if he were an indoor dog, because he took out after them, not the other way around.

Outside dogs don't get inspected like inside dogs? You mean because my dogs live outside I don't pet them, play with them, groom them?
That's kind of a broad stroke.

It's possible that there is no exact division where it can be said one way is better than another. Dogs are as individual as people, and there are so many factors that affect the whole, from genetics to food consumption.

Just as there are people who smoke like chimneys and live into their 90's,
and other who live wholesomely and die young. I don't understand it.

 

[journey11]

My dog Boogie will have her 14th birthday here in about 3 weeks.

She's been doing so much better with the Rimadyl and the joint supplement, but I think I will have to try her on the coconut oil internally since she still has a little stiffness in her rear, especially with winter coming on. Couldn't hurt. Coconut oil is good for so many ailments, for people and dogs.

Did you know that 1 in 3 dogs will get cancer if they live long enough? That seems like such awfully high odds to me. Both of my dogs have had cancer (chow mix died from a suspected brain tumor at age 13). I think the skin issues tend to be more common as they get older too. The immune system does weaken with age.

 

[seedcorn]

No, didn't mean that at all. Will explain later.

 

[Beekissed]

Outside dogs don't get inspected like inside dogs? You mean because my dogs live outside I don't pet them, play with them, groom them?
That's kind of a broad stroke.

I agree. I interact with my dogs daily...many times daily. Lot's of inspection time going on there. My dogs live into a ripe old age and probably much longer than if they got little exercise on the couch all day. They also have quality of life, which I count for much more than quantity. They get to be natural dogs in a natural environment, doing what dogs do all day and night out in the open air, scenting, loping along, marking their territory, hunting and killing to eat at times..and they still get the benefit of easy food and human interaction when they want/need it. Can't get much better than that.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

One of my cattle dogs itches alot. So he gets 1 tsp of salmon oil in his food every night. It sure slows down the crazy itchies he has periodically.