# Dry skin?



## Apres Argent (Aug 9, 2010)

Try adding fish oil to her diet, it may be just dry skin or you did not rinse well enough after last bath. Also not to inspire fear but poodles at first sign of SA, the symptoms are flaky skin either along top line, rear or ears and muzzle, red staining is also a symptom of early expression.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 28, 2011)

On her elbows, it could be from lying on hard surfaces....kind of like a callous. I see quite a few dogs with it.  Hopefully it's not SA!!


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## Arcticfox (Dec 12, 2011)

I've been giving her fish oil once a day for a couple weeks now, and her food is also supplemented with fish oil (blue buffalo grain free puppy). My first though was SA as well, but the elbows didn't make much sense. Her skin looks fine everywhere else. I thought they looked kind of like pressure sores - they are right on the bony protrusion at the side, and she likes to sleep in a bare crate (she had a blanket and pushed it out of the way) in the summer so it could be that. I'll watch and see.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

What is SA? All I can think of is separation anxiety! Does that manifest with skin issues, too, or am I missing something? : P

Lumi developed very dry skin behind her ears about 2 months ago. Red, flaky, and thinning hair. I started adding flax oil to her diet and found almost immediate results! There is no flaking to be seen and a new carpet of hair has covered any thin spots. : )

The elbows sound like it could be pressure. If she is having a skin issue otherwise, the skin would be less resilient to the pressure/friction and more likely to callous, so it could be a little of both. You could try putting a rubber mat, the type people place in work areas, in her crate. Should hopefully be cooler than a bed or blanket, and would be much more awkward to shove aside if it's heavy and an inch or so thick! : )


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## Arcticfox (Dec 12, 2011)

SA is sebatious adenitis (sp?). Its a skin disease common poodles.

The rubber may might be a good idea, I'll look around for one. I'm a little worried that she might be able to chew it up though, since i have caught her chewing the blankie before.


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## SweetMomBoricua (May 12, 2012)

Inflammatory Skin Disease in Dogs | petMD

Sebaceous Adenitis in Dogs

Sebaceous adenitis is a rare type of inflammatory skin disease that affects the skin glands of young and middle age dogs. This condition most commonly affects Poodles, Akitas, and Samoyeds, although other breeds -- and some cats (rarely) -- can also be infected.

Symptoms and Types

There are two primary types of sebaceous adenitis. One type occurs in long-coated animals, and the other type occurs in short-coated breeds.

The signs and symptoms of sebaceous adenitis in long-coated breeds include the following symptoms:

Alopecia
Odor along the hairline
Small clumps of matted hair
Casts forming around the hair shaft
Hair that becomes dull and brittle or coarse
Intense itching along the hairline and scratching
Bacterial infections along the hair follicle
Silver-white scales on the skin
Clusters of skin lesions that form in certain areas of the head

Among short-coated breeds the following signs and symptoms are most commonly reported:

Alopecia -- often occurring in a circular pattern, or diffuse and spread out along the hairline
Mild scaling of skin along the head, trunk and ears of the dog’s body
Secondary bacterial infection along the hairline, although this is less common among short-hair breeds

Causes

The exact cause for sebaceous adenitisis is unknown; researchers are currently studying the causes.

Diagnosis

Your veterinarian will rule out other conditions before confirming a diagnosis of sebaceous adenitis. Some other causes for similar symptoms include the following conditions:

Primary seborrhea -- a skin disorder known as a keratinization disorder, a process whereby the dog’s body produces a substance known as keratin. This disorder can also cause flaking and itching of the skin.
Demodicosis -- an overgrowth of skin mites that can cause itching, hair loss, and inflammation
Dermatophytosis -- a fungal infection that causes itching and flaking
Endocrine skin disease


Diagnostic procedures used to test for sebaceous adenitis include skin scrapings and endocrine function tests, which usually return as normal. Skin biopsies may also be taken for lab testing. Pathologic testing may reveal inflammatory reactions of the sebaceous glands -- the fatty glands found in the hair follicles, which provide oil to the hair and skin.

With long-coated breeds, there may be raw and blistered skin, and even complete loss of the sebaceous or oil producing glands during advanced stages of the disease. Some animals may show evidence of advanced sebaceous adenitis, with excessive fibrous tissue or destroyed hair follicles, although this is very rare.
Treatment

Treatment will depend on the stage of the disease and whether the animal is a long or short-haired breed. Clinical signs of the disease may come and go with time, and the results of the treatment will also often vary, depending on the stage of the disease once your pet has received a proper diagnosis.

Some dogs are more responsive to treatment than others. Historically, Akitas are less responsive to treatment than other breeds. A caretaker may need to try multiple treatments before finding a successful one.

Your veterinarian may recommend one, or more, or the following home treatments:

Brushing lightly to remove flaking
Internal medications to relieve advanced stages of the disease
A mixture of oils, water based solutions, and other skin rubs and shampoos to help remove scales and moisturize the skin
Use of antibacterial products and antibiotic-based shampoos to help with symptomatic relief
Soaking in oil and massaging oil throughout the skin to encourage sloughing of flaking skin and scales.

Living and Management

Many researchers and veterinarians advise dogs owners to register their pets so that they can be tracked. In this way, researchers may be able to discover a mode of inheritance for the disease.


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