flaky skin; rough fur

[chewalotopus]

when my pup gets anxious, her skin gets real flaky - and she's black, so it's pretty noticeable. I tried using NovaPearls medicated shampoo, but it has sulfur and salicylic acid in it, which makes her smell like a firecracker The fur along her spine is also very rough and has recently developed a pronounced wave (looks like she's been in a '20 film!). Anyone know of any good shampoos that smell good AND take care of the flaky skin issue while leaving the fur silky smooth?

[rgyoung777]

I ssee that you recently switched foods from Science Diet to Canidae... Give it some time--her skin and coat may improve now that she's eating a better food.

How often do you bathe her? Sometimes bathing can exacerbate skin conditions--bathing less often is often better for the dog's skin and coat.

[chewalotopus]

well, we do bathe her pretty often - about once a week - because shespends a lot of time on the ground at the dog park rolling around with other dogs. She gets covered in filth and drool daily from this. If there were another way to have a clean dog, I wouldn't bathe her so often!

I am still on the lookout for a good-smelling, high-quality shampoo, though....

[kazuo]

I would agree about the food switch. I would not be surprised if you saw some difference her coat after a few weeks on Canidae. Lilo has a pretty shiny coat, and I think food plays a very big role in that. We mainly get the Wellness Super5Mix chicken for her, but I also like to mix in a little of the Fish & Sweet Potato formula. I think the natural fish oils and fatty acids seem to help skin and coat. There are also derm caps I think they sell over the counter at pet stores that are fatty acid supplements.

Kaz

[chewalotopus]

ah, yes, I forgot about the supplements. I will have to try those. her coat has always been shiny; it's just rough in some places - and a lot of the other pit pups in our socialization class have coats that are much softer than hers, period. maybe I'll ask their owners their secrets, too...

thanks kaz!

[rgyoung777]

ah, yes, I forgot about the supplements. I will have to try those. her coat has always been shiny; it's just rough in some places - and a lot of the other pit pups in our socialization class have coats that are much softer than hers, period. maybe I'll ask their owners their secrets, too...

thanks kaz!

Some supplements to try... Missing Link (which has flax seed and omega 3's for skin and coat health), Solid Gold Seameal (http://www.solidgoldhealth.com), and human grade flax oil, salmon or fish oil (sold in caplet form). Pet grade derm caps might be okay, but you also don't always know the quality of the ingredients.

I know that Solid Gold makes an Aloe Vera coat conditioner that might help soothe her dry skin, and you can find that on their website as well. They have a whole page dedicated specifically for skin and coat health: http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showcat.php?cat=4

Cloud Star (http://www.cloudstar.com/) makes some very good doggy shampoo products (Buddy Wash, Buddy Rinse, and Buddy Bath Bars) that are made with gentle ingredients. The buddy bath bar has oatmeal in it (which is great for soothing the skin) and smells great. So do their liquid shampoo and conditioner.

Also, there are waterless shampoos that help the skin and coat retain their important oils, but do clean up your dog and will help keep her smelling clean in between soap and water baths. Vetbasis (http://www.vetbasis.com/) makes one that smells terriffic, and if you do a search for "waterless shampoo for dogs," you should find others as well.

Sorry I didn't write all of this sooner--it's been a busy week!

[chewalotopus]

Wow, thanks for all the input rg! I've seen ads for the cloudstar stuff - I was concerned that it might be some of that foo-foo fancy stuf that doesn't really get the washin' done and costs a lot. But I will definitely try it now!

So we took Aiko to the doggie park tonight, and low and behold there were two other pits there to play with! A rarity! She wrestled really intensely with this 7-month-old male who was about 2 inches taller and at least 15 pounds heavier-pure muscle! Needless to say, she spent most of the time on the ground, and she was sooooooo filthy. The bathwater ran brown forever!

She's impossible to keep clean when we're taking her to the dog park every day and she rolls around on the ground. Does the waterless shampoo get the dirt off?

[HugABull1]

ahhh, I wish I could use all those lovely supplements for my Gage. He is so extremely allergic to grains that just from the tiny bits he manages to get here and there (like treats from other people or my son, or food my son drops, or bits he steals off the counters or from the garbage - bad puppy!)he is often flaky and dry. His coat looks great (I feed BARF and supplement with halibut oil), but his skin is often a mess. When he gets really itchy or dry, or if he is stinky, I bath him with a tearless gentle puppy formula, then smother him in Aveeno oatmeal bath oil (for humans, smells great). I rinse it semi-thoroughly then towel him dry. It makes his fur soft but not greasy, and he smells fantastic!!!

However, I can't bath him every couple of days (which is how often his skin needs it). Any suggestions?

[sashagirl]

Have you tried giving her a good brush down everyday? That keeps off the excess dirt. Maybe after that you could wipe her down with a damp towel... I know that when I used to give my dogs baths once a week, both of there skin got dry and flaky, and eventually started getting bald spots... They need the oil in their skin. I now don't give a bath more than once a month, and the brushing keeps their hair nice and soft!

[chewalotopus]

I've been wondering about what kind of brush to use...I have a slicker brush that I use on my cats, but Aiko is terribly afraid of it. What is that gentlest and best type of brush to use on a short-coated pit??

I have tried the wet towel rub-down, which gets a lot of the dirt off, BUT, it doesn't get the dirt smell out. I have a skin and coat emollient spray for her which smells nice, but she's also afraid of that! I think originally it was the spraying that bothered her, but now I just put some in my hand to rub on her. However, she is now familiar with the smell and associates it with the spray sound, so when she smells it, she runs away! Poor thing...

[HugABull1]

Not sure what the best brush for a pit is, but what I use (and my dogs LOVE it) is one of those rubber massage/brush thingies (very technical I know ). You can get hand held ones or ones that are a glove. My dogs love it, and it pulls off all the dead hair. It's also great for stimulating their skin.

That's funny that she's associated the smell with the spray - smart girl! Sounds like a big wuss like my Angel is . Good luck with her!