Any tips to promote skin health?

[Brianna&Bubba.]

Bella seems to be my health problem prone girl. Skin issue, signs of hip dysplasia already, and a random case of panostietis (random inflammation in her back legs with no knowing cause) But I noticed her skin issue when she was approx. 6 months old. Whats crazy is that she was on blue buffalo puppy diet, which is what i used for Buddys skin allergy. And it definitely seemed that a food allergy had something to do with it because it was constantly happening. The vet prescribed her cephalexon a couple times but that is only a temporary fix. Then I tried this food from a local feed store of a locally distributed food (with good ingredients and a great price at that), her skin turned around a little better but not as good as i would like.

I was then recommended to do a fish diet kibble, and she is now on natures choice salmon diet, her skin is better than ever before but a couple spots still get red. Its mostly her inside leg and neck, and random spots sometimes. Her shampoo is an oatmeal dog shampoo, she doesnt get much baths though since living in the country, baths are almost pointless . It could possible be a pollen/environment allergy On top of the food allergy?

I was wondering if anyone had some skin tips? I heard of some people usimg fish oil in food but that could also cause diarrhea so... Any advice is appreciated!

[turtle]

I'd say you are on the right track with trying different foods to see which she does best on. I have been dealing with a similar issue with my 12 yr old dog, she now can't eat chicken, beef, or rice. I've been feeding her the Diamond Naturals Grain Free Whitefish & Sweet Potato kibble and she's doing better on it.

I would also recommend adding salmon oil to her food. It is very good for skin problems and good for their immune system and general health. Salmon oil is rich so you would want to start slowly and just give maybe a tablespoon each day or every other day and work up gradually to more salmon oil each day. My old dog gets about 4 or 5 tablespoons daily.

I have been buying it from this place --

http://dakotalinesnares.com/store/index ... ath=30_110" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is pure wild caught Alaska Salmon oil, a gallon is only $27.95 plus shipping. For one dog I buy 2 of the 32 oz bottles since the shipping cost is the same for one or two bottles and it keeps well in the fridge.

Good luck, skin issues are a challenge!

[Brianna&Bubba.]

I'd say you are on the right track with trying different foods to see which she does best on. I have been dealing with a similar issue with my 12 yr old dog, she now can't eat chicken, beef, or rice. I've been feeding her the Diamond Naturals Grain Free Whitefish & Sweet Potato kibble and she's doing better on it.

I would also recommend adding salmon oil to her food. It is very good for skin problems and good for their immune system and general health. Salmon oil is rich so you would want to start slowly and just give maybe a tablespoon each day or every other day and work up gradually to more salmon oil each day. My old dog gets about 4 or 5 tablespoons daily.

I have been buying it from this place --

http://dakotalinesnares.com/store/index ... ath=30_110" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is pure wild caught Alaska Salmon oil, a gallon is only $27.95 plus shipping. For one dog I buy 2 of the 32 oz bottles since the shipping cost is the same for one or two bottles and it keeps well in the fridge.

Good luck, skin issues are a challenge!

Skin issues are definitely a challenge. I definitely want to try the salmon oil to see just how much better her skin can get. Her skin is no longer bad, it doesn't bother her or anything, but I would like to see how far I can get her skin to go. Do you just add the oil on top of the food or mix it in? Not sure if it even matters .

Do you bathe the dogs? Reading on the internet, it seems to go back and forth whether or not frequent baths help or worsen skin, even with the oatmeal shampoo. As of now, she might get a bath once a month. Im curious if bathing more would help her, but if anyone has experience of it making it worse, I might not take the chance.

[Bambina23]

I am also going through skin issues with my dog. His allergies would get so out of control he would flare up in huge secondary infections. Hives and red itchy-ness all over his body, to the point where touching him at all made him scratch like a fiend. I believe I have found a food which makes him the most comfortable (knock on wood). But I also made the decision to stop his daily benadryl completely and switch to a natural immune booster. I am hoping that by supporting his immune system he will better be able to regulate the infections caused by his allergic reactions. So far so good. He is still Yeasty and itchy. I am also taking the natural route to try and amend that as well. That said, in order to deal with his body's yeast growth I AM bathing him to control the yeast. Using oatmeal on a dog that has yeast issues is counter productive you are better off using a tea tree oil shampoo. The carbohydrates in oatmeal break down to sugars= yeast. We bathe and thoroughly twice a week and he sees a groomer for a full groom and oil treatment every 2-3 weeks.If you do choose to try soothing your dog with baths, make sure you are rinsing and drying fully. For a dog with skin issues leaving moisture on the skin can cause just as much damage. Having access to a force or kennel dryer is much more effective than towel drying. just be aware.. some dogs like to fight with the force dryer..... ask me how i know

I do not use fish oil because it makes my female smell- yuck. I have heard great things about coconut oil though!

[turtle]

Yes the salmon oil does seem to help a lot and I either add it to her food or just put it in a bowl, she likes it and licks it right up. I don’t notice her smelling worse from having the salmon oil and she’s been on it a long time. It’s good stuff.

And I bathe her about every 2 weeks. It cleans her skin and helps with the bumpy crusty places. I also take her outside and brush her gently with a rubber glove type thing that helps clear out a lot of the old dry skin and loose hair.

Interesting about the oatmeal shampoo and yeast. I use a couple of different shampoos including oatmeal. I have a medicated shampoo recommended by the vet but it seemed to dry her skin too much and did not work as well, so I am not using it right now.

Skin issues are a tough one and the causes can be so varied. Sometimes it is something as simple as a too strong floor cleaner, other times it is a food problem, or an immune problem.

[turtle]

He is still Yeasty and itchy. I am also taking the natural route to try and amend that as well. That said, in order to deal with his body's yeast growth I AM bathing him to control the yeast. Using oatmeal on a dog that has yeast issues is counter productive you are better off using a tea tree oil shampoo. The carbohydrates in oatmeal break down to sugars= yeast.

What about using Apple Cider Vinegar to help with yeast? And/or Tea Tree oil?

I have heard that a rinse of Apple Cider Vinegar after the bath can help soothe their skin and kill the yeast. I know ACV is good for many things and I have added it to my dogs' food for years. I have also used it diluted for hot spots and skin irritations.

Also what is the food that you found that your dog did well on? Thanks!

[Brianna&Bubba.]

Yeah that's interesting about the yeast and oatmeal, I don't think that's her issue though. Her skin scrape at the vet showed no mange and no yeast, and more recently I did a skin scrape on her at school to really look as long as possible at the sample and get some techs to look also and again there was no demodex and no yeast. So I think I will try bathing her more and see if that helps.

I've always tried to towel dry her very well but next time ill try drying her her with the hair dryer on low until maybe getting a force dryer. The ones I'm finding online are ranging from 100 to 300. :/

I should maybe get the glove brush too! I have a simple little pet brush that was actually bought for our ferret. Lol it doesn't do well brushing the dogs.

[amalie79]

Coconut oil is a godsend for skin issues. And mine love it (plus, I get to lick the spoon. ). It was a huge turnaround for the two major allergy dogs. One of mine is a Shar Pei mix, which are notorious for skin problems-- and she had them! But coconut oil has helped a lot. We feed raw, so they get salmon oil and canned salmon and mackerel with that, but I feel like the coconut oil was more beneficial.

I also felt like kelp or Solid Gold's Seameal helped with their allergies. You want to be careful with that when you feed commercial food because of the iodine, but I think Dr. Dodds says a few times a week is appropriate with commercial foods.

And the raw diet helps, too, but I know that's not feasible for everyone.

As for shampoos, I like Tropiclean's Neem Oil shampoo. And then their OxyMed anti itch rinse is phenomenal and makes them soooo soft and smell soooo good.

Good luck! I know it's a challenge.

[Brianna&Bubba.]

Coconut oil is a godsend for skin issues. And mine love it (plus, I get to lick the spoon. ). It was a huge turnaround for the two major allergy dogs. One of mine is a Shar Pei mix, which are notorious for skin problems-- and she had them! But coconut oil has helped a lot. We feed raw, so they get salmon oil and canned salmon and mackerel with that, but I feel like the coconut oil was more beneficial.

I also felt like kelp or Solid Gold's Seameal helped with their allergies. You want to be careful with that when you feed commercial food because of the iodine, but I think Dr. Dodds says a few times a week is appropriate with commercial foods.

And the raw diet helps, too, but I know that's not feasible for everyone.

As for shampoos, I like Tropiclean's Neem Oil shampoo. And then their OxyMed anti itch rinse is phenomenal and makes them soooo soft and smell soooo good.

Good luck! I know it's a challenge.

Thanks!
I was so tempted to do raw because not only does Bella have skin issues but Bailey has a serious metabolism on her so keeping weight was hard. Everyone hs problems with keeping dogs lean, I have a hard time making sure people dont think i starve my dog.. so with these two issues i thought raw would be good, but i talked myself out of it. But Bailey was put on the same brand as Bella, just a puppy diet and more amount of food. She is now just lean, she doesnt looked starved, but she gets so much food! She looks like those dogs that are worked everyday, her muscle tone is beautiful.
So its working out well, now i need to decide which oil i will want and illbe ordering that friday for Bella

[amalie79]

We do both salmon and coconut...

And I totally understand!! Luna, my pei/pit mix, stays so skinny... She weighs 47lbs and you can see her ribs especially because of her shar pei coat. She's very muscular, though, so I'm happy. But people think she's starved and I was feeding her almost 2lbs of food per day for a while to maintain that weight, whereas my older lab who weighs in at a slightly chunky 60lbs eats less than 1lb per day.

On the other hand, my young lab has digestive problems and some severe intolerances (including chicken and salmon oil, and cottage cheese maybe?) and has had a couple feet of his intestines removed. I tried all sorts of kibble a with him, but he would not gain weight and hovered around 41-42lbs. We finally settled on 1.25-1.5lbs raw turkey per day and he has gained 20lbs. He's now getting some pork, some beef, and we're figuring out exactly how much bone he can handle and how finely it needs to be ground. Still lean, but looks fantastic.

In other words, some dogs really gain on the raw, some need a bit more. But all of mine have really thrived on it. Great muscles and fabulous coats-- our vets are more traditional, but one of the newer vets asked me what shampoo I use on my dogs because they're so soft... I hadn't given them baths in about 9 months (we don't bathe often, but when we do, it's the Tropiclean that I mentioned). It's the raw and the coconut oil, I'm convinced. Luna is the only shar pei coat that doesn't make another vet itch. Luna has horrible flea allergies as well-- when we found her, every flea bite would turn into a staph infection and she was miserable. Once we got her healthy and got her skin in good shape, I went almost a. Year without having to treat for fleas, and when she does get a bite now, her reaction is much less severe.

Anyway, I'm a fan of raw and of coconut. Can you tell?

[Annabella13]

I'd say you are on the right track with trying different foods to see which she does best on. I have been dealing with a similar issue with my 12 yr old dog, she now can't eat chicken, beef, or rice. I've been feeding her the Diamond Naturals Grain Free Whitefish & Sweet Potato kibble and she's doing better on it.

I would also recommend adding salmon oil to her food. It is very good for skin problems and good for their immune system and general health. Salmon oil is rich so you would want to start slowly and just give maybe a tablespoon each day or every other day and work up gradually to more salmon oil each day. My old dog gets about 4 or 5 tablespoons daily.

I have been buying it from this place --

http://dakotalinesnares.com/store/index ... ath=30_110" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is pure wild caught Alaska Salmon oil, a gallon is only $27.95 plus shipping. For one dog I buy 2 of the 32 oz bottles since the shipping cost is the same for one or two bottles and it keeps well in the fridge.

Good luck, skin issues are a challenge!

I just started my pups on the Diamond grain free whitefish for the same issue. It's so strange how these allergies can just pop up out of nowhere. I normally feed Diamond Lamb and Rice with added Salmon oil. They haven't been too excited about the change in food so I've been mixing small quantities of the lamb and rice in with the whitefish until they get more of a taste for it. I was going to give it a few weeks. How long before I should start to see a difference or try a different food?

[turtle]

I just started my pups on the Diamond grain free whitefish for the same issue. It's so strange how these allergies can just pop up out of nowhere. I normally feed Diamond Lamb and Rice with added Salmon oil. They haven't been too excited about the change in food so I've been mixing small quantities of the lamb and rice in with the whitefish until they get more of a taste for it.

I was going to give it a few weeks. How long before I should start to see a difference or try a different food?

I'd give it at least a month to 6 weeks. It takes time for their systems to get used to the new food and for the reactions from the old food to ease up.

If they are not too keen on the new Diamond Naturals GF whitefish food, you can buy some cans of canned mackerel and add some of that to their dinners. Mine loves the canned fish and broth and it's good for them too.

And the salmon oil is very good for them in so many ways, do give that too!

[Annabella13]

I just started my pups on the Diamond grain free whitefish for the same issue. It's so strange how these allergies can just pop up out of nowhere. I normally feed Diamond Lamb and Rice with added Salmon oil. They haven't been too excited about the change in food so I've been mixing small quantities of the lamb and rice in with the whitefish until they get more of a taste for it.

I was going to give it a few weeks. How long before I should start to see a difference or try a different food?

I'd give it at least a month to 6 weeks. It takes time for their systems to get used to the new food and for the reactions from the old food to ease up.

If they are not too keen on the new Diamond Naturals GF whitefish food, you can buy some cans of canned mackerel and add some of that to their dinners. Mine loves the canned fish and broth and it's good for them too.

And the salmon oil is very good for them in so many ways, do give that too!

Thank you for the advice. I finally gave up on the Diamond GF. They seemed to get a little better for a while and then last week both erupted again.

My male has redness around his eyes and a inflammed red spot that covers his underside middle to groin. The only thing that seems to help is topical coconut oil. His coat is dry but not flaky. My female suddenly started having a reaction to her collar. (4-ply seatbelt webbing from Stillwater) If I put it on her she immediately gets a large rash along the collar line. So strange she has been wearing these for years. She does have a dry yet oily, flaky coat and is very itchy. She responds well to Neosporin. I took them both to the vet this weekend just to make sure there was not a larger issue going on here. He confirmed they are just having an allergic reaction and I was told to give them 1mg/lb of benedryl. He was quite indifferent. (GRRR!) To me, any allergy that persists this long is bad. I refuse to just sit here and drug my dogs daily until these issues magically disappear.

I have deep cleaned again and washed all bedding and even my clothes with hypoallergenic detergents and bleach. I will be bathing them again tomorrow with hypoallergenic soap free shampoo. They started tonight on a mix of Diamond and Merrick Grain Free Beef (Acana is too expensive!) with a modified portion of the Salmon Oil supplement. I am starting to think this stems from a different allergen. Is it possible to have a winter allergy? I will be ordering her a leather collar to try and thought about putting a humidifier in here but I am at a loss at what else to do.

Any suggestions??

[turtle]

I had to take my old dog off the Diamond Naturals Grain Free Whitefish kibble as she started getting skin bumps and being itchy on it. So no more kibble for the last couple of months.

I did the elimination diet and then added different meats and such to see what all she can eat. It is a slow process. I am now feeding her 2 meals a day, a raw meal at noon and a cooked meal of sweet potatoes and cooked fish at night. So far she is doing very well on this. She is 48 pounds and gets 8 oz raw and about 10 oz cooked.

I use some canned mackerel when I have it, and of course a lot of salmon oil. I just ordered a gallon of it since I am using so much. I also add a spoon of coconut oil to her food as well and that is great for them.

Apple cider vinegar is also a good supplement, I add some to her food a few times a week. I use the Bragg brand with the mother in it, you can get it at the grocery store.

The raw I am feeding is from Blue Ridge Beef company and it is just ground raw meat and bones. She gets the venison but I am finding she does better on the ground raw quail. I think she does well on it because this product is just meat and bone without a lot of extras in it.

http://www.blueridgebeef.com/products.html

I have been doing more reading and found this web site which is very useful with some great info. Here are some of the articles which helped me –

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspo ... 0in%20Dogs

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspo ... edies.html

They also have a good article about fish meal in dog foods –

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspo ... er-do.html

So I am glad I am not feeding her a fish kibble anymore. Not all kibbles use it but it is something to be aware of.

And this article on Omega fatty acids was excellent –

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspo ... ega-6.html

Some good reading!

And I agree, don’t settle for using drugs if you can find a better way to deal with the allergies. Good luck and please update again!

[amalie79]

Have you been feeding the coconut oil, as well? That's been a HUGE help for us, as has Seameal/kelp and probiotics to keep yeast under control.