Dry and flaky dog skin is a problem that the owners frequently have to deal with. The problem of a dog with itchy, irritated, dry skin is a common condition these days. There are only a few main causes for this problem and taking action can improve the condition dramatically.

Let's go over some of the common causes for consistently dry dog skin. The causes range from minor and easy to treat to serious medical conditions that are difficult to treat.

Allergies

There are two main types of allergies that dogs suffer: contact and food allergies. Contact allergies can arise from the dog coming into contact with common household cleaning products like soap or bleach, shampoo, laundry detergent, perfumes, or even some fabrics like wool. This condition is known as dermatitis and can arise overnight. A dog can also suffer from a skin condition as part of an archipelago of reactions to food allergies. Your dog might be allergic to coloring, preservatives, or other ingredients in the food. This allergic reaction to the food is one of the most difficult to diagnose. Your dog's dry skin might also be a result of an intolerance to his daily medication.

Parasites

Parasites are one of the most common cause for a dog's flaky skin. Fleas are a very common form of canine parasite and they can be seen with the naked eye. But there are lots of other parasites that cannot be seen with the naked eye because they live deep within the hair follicle. Parasites that are commonly found in dogs include ear mites, cheyletiella mites, and scabies which can spread around the body.

Fungal Infections

Fungal infections in dogs, such as ring worm or yeast infections, are a common cause for itchy, dry, flaky dog skin. Another problem with these types of infection is that it is possible for them to be spread, not only all around the dog's body, but also to other dogs and even humans. Flaky, dry, irritated, red, and oozing skin are all possible symptoms of a fungal infection.

The causes for a dog to have dry, flaky skin could possibly include intestinal parasites, bathing too regularly, thyroid disorder, or auto-immune disorder on top of the three causes of dog dry skin that we discussed in more depth above

Before jumping to conclusions that your dog's dry skin is a result of some serious fungal infection you can do some simple things trial and error to rule out more easily treatable causes. Some simple changes to treat your dog would include:

Brush your dog everyday. This helps remove dead skin and dander which can cause him skin irritation.

Start feeding your dog quality organic dog food with lots of oils like Omega 6 in it. The amount of money you spend on feeding you dog high quality food will be nowhere near the amount you spend down the road on vet bills and prescription medication. Preventative medicine is key to giving your dog the quality of life it deserves, which includes a healthy coat that doesn't constantly itch.

Don't bathe your dog too much, especially in the winter. Bathing you dog washes off the oils that build up to keep their skin moist and healthy. Also don't let your dog swim too much for the same reasons.

Incorporate a once daily dietary supplement into your dog's diet. This coupled with a healthy food will dramatically increase your pet's quality of life and save you a tremendous amount of money on medication in the future.

Use special shampoo designed for dogs with allergies or dry, flaky, sensitive skin. Again, if you do with with vitamins, good food, normal brushing, and less bathing you could save yourself thousands in vet bills just for the vet to tell you that you need to change your dog's diet, give him supplements, brush more, and bathe less.

Those are some of the ways you can easily find out the cause if you have a problem with dog dry skin. If none of these proactive steps help, then it's time to go to the vet, but you can at least rule out some of the possible causes.