What To Do When Your Dog Has Dry Skin

Has Fido been scratching like mad lately? The first thing you need to do is rule out parasites. Don't assume scratching means dry skin - it could mean fleas an other nasties. Sit down with your pooch and take a good long look at him (10 min is all you need for this), paying special attention to the area he seems most bothered by. We want to make sure he’s not infested with fleas, mange or other doggie bugs. If he is, take him to vet and get him treated asap. Start using a monthly flea and tick prevention and that should cure your problems. If, however, he is not infested with fleas or other yuckies, we need to make sure he doesn’t have any infections that might be causing the scratching. If you took a good look at him the first time, you should already know if he had anything like this. If you can rule this out as well, it’s time to move on to the big one - the most common source of doggie dandruff.

FOOD.

Today’s commercial pet foods SUCK. Ways you would never want to imagine. The quality of pet food over the last few decades has led to common allergies in dogs and cats. If your dog is scratching, has dry skin, dull coat, hot spots or anything else that just doesn’t look perfect, I recommend you immediately change to a holistic brand of dog food. All that means is 100% natural, no chemicals. My recommendation for dogs with dry coat, itchy skin, lackluster fur, etc, is putting them on a Lamb diet from a trusted holistic company. This worked wonders for my own dog, who, like many dogs, was allergic to chicken formulas.

It’s possible holistic might run 5 or 10 bucks more a bag – but realize your dog will be eating LESS, because it’s better quality and better absorbed. Do not avoid healthy foods just because you think it will cost big bucks! Your dog deserves the same quality of food you feed yourself. Holistic foods are made from human grade meats. Commercial pet foods are not – commercial pet food ingredients even include euthanized companion animals collected from Vet offices. And yes it’s legal.

If Fido has dry skin the most common problem is the food he’s eating. Don’t start him on supplements and other expensive products that are unlikely to help and will only support Big Pharma!! They don’t care a lick about your Fido. If the problem is food related (as opposed to a medical condition) a good brand of holistic food will be all you need. Change his food, change his skin, it’s that simple. If you stick to your commercial food and add supplements you might see a slight improvement, but ultimately all you will be doing is chucking money down the drain.

(Note: Holistic pet foods provide all the supplements your dog needs - and they often advise against giving him more. Over-supplementation is bad for any living organism - don't do this to your dog unless you have no alternative.)

Do Fido a favor – go out and get you some good holistic dog food today. If his condition worsens or does not improve after 2 months, take him to your vet and you can start ruling out medical conditions. If it’s truly just dry skin, you probably won't have to do that. Some excellent holistic brands – NONE of which were affected by pet food recalls:

Nutram

Canidae

Wellness

Old Mother Hubbard

Innova