Dog Dandruff---Dog Has Flaky Skin

One question we frequently get is about flaky skin or dog dandruff. I know when my Ariel was young she used to get it, too. I went to the veterinarian at the time and received very little guidance. That was over 10 years ago and we have made a lot of progress in terms of our understanding of skin conditions, flaky skin and doggie dandruff. Here are some factors that contribute:

1) Dry, flaking skin–when a dog’s skin is flaking, many times pet owners think the dog needs topical lotions or creams. While sure, using a topical cream rinse can help temporarily, that is not a permanent answer. The problem needs to be resolved internally. The dog’s coat is dry because the diet does not contain enough essential fatty acids e.g. Omega 3 essential oils. What is a great source of this? Well—Amazing Omegas. Amazing Omegas contain the purest, most potent fish oil available. Because it is so pure, it is highly bioavailable to your dog and cat. What does bioavailable mean? It means that your pet’s body is able to use it. We have had countless examples at the clinic where pet owners are already using another brand of fish oil and yet, the pet continues to have dull coat or flaky skin. This is most likely due to the fact that the oil is not a high enough quality or they are not using enough. Buyer beware–there is huge variation in fish oils….

As an interesting factoid–Did you know that humans can have dry skin, hair and DRY EYE due to lack of essential fatty acids. It is incredible that sometimes dry eye can be due to a lack of omegas. All of the omegas featured on Askariel.com, including Amazing Omegas are manufactured for pets and people, so you and your pet can share a bottle together!

2) Parasites–sometimes dry flaking skin can be due to parasites. Be sure to have your veterinarian do a skin scraping.

3) Dog Yeast–sometimes dogs have a yeast condition, that along with the flaking, can make them have an odor as well. Yeast thrives especially in moist places such as the ears and groin. A dog can be itching the ears and not have an infection, in part because there may be a slight overgrowth of yeast. Try using Myco-zyme yeast package which includes Amazing Omegas. This will help target the yeast, provide immune support and include valuable essential fatty acids as well.

4) Dog Allergies–Dogs can have food allergies and one of the ways it manifests itself is through the skin. If your dog has dandruff, smelly skin, dry coat, itching….these are all signs that most likely it is due to the food you are feeding. Switch to a low carbohydrate, hypoallergenic food. Be sure to avoid key allergens such as chicken, grains, peanut butter and dog biscuits (contains wheat). Click here to schedule a consultation with our nutritionist, Susan Davis.