My golden retriever has very dry skin. Can anyone tell me what to do to try to heal his problem skin?
v65babe_99 asked:
His skin is so dry that it looks like he actually has dandruff. He has not been neutered, and he is constantly getting hot spots. I have had him to the vet numerous times, and they give him antibiotics and antihistamines that help, but when the meds are done, it’s back to square one. I would really like some advice from someone who knows about goldens and their special needs.
Thanks!
His skin is so dry that it looks like he actually has dandruff. He has not been neutered, and he is constantly getting hot spots. I have had him to the vet numerous times, and they give him antibiotics and antihistamines that help, but when the meds are done, it’s back to square one. I would really like some advice from someone who knows about goldens and their special needs.
Thanks!
bring him to the vet, my dog had this prob and it was a skin virus thing bullitgirl96
yeah dogs can have dandruff. my friend uses a special dog dandruff shampoo. FIshLover<3
I know someone who has a golden with dry skin, although not to the same extreme. He was told to give the dog lamb based foods. I guess it is supposed to be good for the skin. Hawkeye4077
KEEP GETTING THE MED REFEAILED shortney
Dry skin is common with labs, too. One thing to try is about three squirts of fish oil on his dog food. They sell a product like it in the pet stores, but it’s still basically fish oil. Our vet said that in a pinch, any type of cooking oil would work. crossstitchkelly
Diet can be important to the skin. Look for a dog food specially formulated to nourish the skin. These usually have a little higher fat content than regular foods. There are also supplements sold for this purpose. MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING
i have a golden mix.. i use to have the same problems and its worse in the winter but use a dog shampoo with oatmeal u can get it at the pet store for about 8 dollars it works great for dry skin and dandriff and the hot spots there is a spray you can also get at the pet store something called no more spots about 10 dollars works wonders. hot_juicy513
You can add a little sprinkle of raw vitamin E to his food. tearsofthemoon00
It is ok to give your dog benadryl…….also, get some hypoalergenic shampoo from petsmart or someting. That is what I do for my dog. country_girl
Hey,,,, I give my dog yogert…. and also have him shaved down in the Summer.. it helps …. then i can apply lotion on him…. he loves the attention!!! woof woof….
good luck eejonesaux
If his only problem is dry skin (no allergies), the best thing to give him is a salmon oil capsule daily. My dogs get one, especially in the very dry winter weather, every day and their skin and coats show an enormous difference. If you don’t want to buy that, a tablespoon of veg. oil on his food daily will also help tremendously. The other thing is to be careful you don’t bath too much because it doesn’t matter what kind of shampoo you use, bathing dries their skin badly. walkinglady
I don’t have a golden but I do have a dog with skin allergies/problems.
I gave her some of this omega 3 oil for a while. You can get it at any pet store. But that got kind of expensive and changed to coconut oil, which seems to work well too. It usually will make their coats shinier and help with the scratching. But it can take up to 3 weeks before you see a difference.
Put a tablespoon in their food each day. They love it.
There are also steriod shots they can get at the vet, but I have heard it eventually can damage the liver so you would’t want to do that more than once a year.
You may also want to try changing food. Food allergies are the most common reason for scratching/itching. Denise G
I think you should take him to the vet. sssmdb
Sometimes (not always) this can be caused by the food the dog is eating. If you are feeding your dog one of the “supermarket” brands of dog food, try a higher quality dog food like Nutro (lamb meal and rice worked well for my dog), Wellness, or Solid Gold. I now feed my dog Wellness that I get at Pet Supermarket, and she loves it. Makes her coat real nice too. Solid Gold is another good one from what I have heard - I’ve seen it for sale at PetCo.
Hope that helps fiftyhz
I would recommend using a tar or sulfur based shampoo. They smell terrible but they work really well on dogs with skin conditions. meltedwatches
Fish oil vitamin supplements. They are available in most pet food stores. They work very well.
Also consider the food you are giving. Alot of grocery store food brands are stuffed with fillers…ie..corn. This is a allergen in some dogs.
But the weather has been horrendous, so most probably you just need fish oil. Tracey A
raw eggs or save the fat u drain when u cook and add about a half teaspoon to his food each day, also olive oil kandymofocruz
I had a dog with that problem, we had to make sure to bathe him fairly often with Oatmeal shampoo. Have you had him tested for specific allergies? There are also some pills you can buy to put in his food for healthy skin and coat. PJB
Don’t bath him as often, it dries their coat, and skin. just once a week or every 22 days. Have him drink lots of water. But if you can, take him to the vet. cutie
Dandruff is a tough call. If you have your golden on prednisone or some other steroid for alleergies then it probably needs to be a continual maintenance drug.
Adding fish oil (tuna) to your pet’s food will improve it’s skin condition. Bacon grease will help too. Also, look at what your feeding him. A generic food will make a difference. Try Nutro Max for a healthy coat and skin. An oatmeal based shampoo can help soothe problem skin just like a human’s. There are some off the shelf things too. Try Doctors Foster & Smith for some good products. Bayne
Sounds like a chronic skin infection. Are his ears bad too? Just about all you can do is keep him on meds, and even that doesn’t work. Do not breed this dog and pass along this problem. kramerdnewf
Ok this may be a allergy of any kind. Golden’s are prone to allergies, like MANY other dogs. Their are wonderful shampoo’s and conditioners out ther that help with dry skin. Anything Oatmeal or is labeled hypoallergenic. Check out DRs. Forster &Smith on line for some or there are some you can get through your vets office. Bathe your dog only 1 time every 2 weeks and be sure to really dry him well. Not with a blow dryer this only promotes drying of the skin.
Take a really good look at his food too. Is it a quality food? Maybe it’s time to but him on a food for dogs with sensitive skin!
I don’t know about the tuna thing (major bad doggie breath) but some kind of omega 3 fatty oil I think may help.
Hope these ideas help!
Oh yes! Skin problems are something dogs develope they DO NOT inheret these issues. So if you don’t know what your talking about then Shhhhh!!!! Goldengal
So far you have recieved some helpful answers, however I am certain that the root of your Golden’s problem is his diet.
It is very important to scrutinize the label and check the ingredients. Even some so called ‘premium’ pet foods contain questionable ingredients. I am almost certain that your pet’s problem stems from some kind of corn byproduct in his chow.
Corn by-products are used by pet food companies as filler and a cheap protien source. Stay away from any food that has corn anywhere in the ingredients. Even so called premium brands like Iams, and Eukanuba have corn by-product.I would not reccomend lamb based pet foods either, dogs with sensitive skin can have problems with it. Try a Chicken based kibble such as Wellness. A great alternative if you cant afford 40 dollars for a 40 pound bag of Wellness is Costco’s Super Premium brand.
It does not have any corn by-product and has great additaves like mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) and omega 3 and 6. Both of these ingredients are excellent for skin and coat maintnance. Also, try not to bathe your dog to often. Every 90 days or longer is best.
The chemicals in dog shampoos rob the dogs skin and coat of vital oils that protect it and keep it glossy. A whole raw egg is a good treat that is beneficial to coat maintnance, every now and then you should treat your dog to a salmon steak, your pet will love it and the Salmon is swimming with omegas 3 & 6 and other fatty acids. Another alternitave is the B.A.R.F. diet, or bones and raw food. Dogs with skin issues usually respond well to this diet,
but it is not for a novice and can be expensive. If you want to take the BARF road, find a pet nutritionalist who can help you formulate a diet for your pup. W.L.