# Dry skin and potential hair loss



## Brenda-A (Jan 7, 2013)

Hey,

So Teddy has had really dry skin for a while. I took him to vet a while back and they said it might be allergies and that they could do the test, but in the meantime to change his food. I went to where I get his food and told them about the situation. They said they wouldn't recommend doing the test since Teddy is small there wasn't a lot of space in his belly for the test so at some point it might all get mixed up and i wouldn't know what exactly gives him the allergies.

They recommend to change his food to one that does have grains and chicken since that's what mostly causes allergies. I did and it did help with the rashes. I give him the Orijen 6 fish grain-free dry food. I noticed he has really dry skin though. I tried giving him fish oil in his food but he is soo picky. He literally picks out the kibble that doesn't have the fish oil and put it aside and eats the one that does. I can't put too much fish oil because it gives him diarrhea.

Recently I have noticed his hair is looking a little dull. 

Are there any supplements any of you would recommend? or what would you recommend? 

We have a filter at home for the bath water so that it removes the chlorine and I make sure I take an extra time for rinsing. I shower him with an oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. 

Thanks in advance


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I use 'Missing Link' ultimate coat formula. It's a coarse powder that I mix in her soft food every morning. If you are feeding dry food only I guess you could dampen it to make it stick to the dry food but i'd probably just mix it in a couple of spoonsful of a favorite canned food......... it's a good suppliment that supplies all the omega 3's & 6's that are important for coat health and has really helped Molly with her itchy paws from grass allergy. Not wildly expensive either!!!!
It's been around for years too......I used the bird formula on my Parrots!!!


P.S. If your girl is suspected to have grain allergies, I wouldn't use oatmeal shampoo..................


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

I use the missing link as well. It has made Killa's coat so soft and pretty, but if they know it's in the food they won't eat it. You can also get fish oil capsules and just plop it in the back of her mouth and close her mouth until she swallows. Killa won't take anything unless I do that. I use to do the cheese or meat method but she is to smart and eventually figured it out.


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## Brenda-A (Jan 7, 2013)

MollyMuiMa: I will definitely look into that. I'm such a bad mother. It never crossed my mind the shampoo could be contributing too. I just thought it would since since the oatmeal shampoo said it was moisturizing. 

What shampoo would you recommend? 

Poodlecrazy#1: ugh! sometimes poodles are too smart lol Teddy is really good at taking pills thought. What pill supplements would you recommend 

Teddy is a boy  everyone thinks he's a girl so were are used to it


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Lol, yes they are! I don't blame Killa though because cyclosporine smells like a chemical skunk! 

Our vet just tells clients to get the store bought fish oil capsules. They are the same thing in pet stores but much cheaper. One pill a day would be sufficient for him. Or you could see if he likes fish skins. I get mine from The Honest Kitchen, they are called Beams, I'm sure he would get plenty of fish oil from those. 

As for shampoo recommendations try Espree. They have many great shampoos and you can find it at petco I think, or online. I absolutely love ? their products. My favorite is the plum perfect and the mud bath, but they have many for you to chose from. Always go for a moisturizing type and always do conditioner after shampooing. That will help a lot with dry skin and hair. 

Oh and OOPPS! I knew Teddy was a boy but my phone loves to change my words sometimes. It is very annoying but I usually catch it. It will change Get to Her or Love to Live and of course He to Her. Who said smartphones are actually smart ?.


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## cocojen (Oct 14, 2014)

I would recommend a hypo-allergenic shampoo. espree is a good line and they have a hypo shampoo and maybe try the aloe conditioner. I would read the ingredients just to make sure. in my shop, I use envirogroom for all my clients and it has worked well. a lot of people love my berry silk conditioner! smells amazing! I have also heard wonderful things about isle of dogs and pure paws. I haven't tried them but ive seen many recommendations for them. I am actually getting some pure paws to try for my own personal pets...

and I also can vouch for fish skins. I just recently discovered them and my dogs gobble them up faster than anything ive given them before!


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## rubymom (Apr 24, 2010)

Have you tried giving him coconut oil?


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Just considering a different route, If the hair loss and skin problems persist, you may want to check thyroid. I would also suggest Dr. Dodds Nutriscan test. She can mail you the kit, you just swab the inside of the mouth and mail it back.


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

Just a helpful comment, allergy testing in dogs and cats are done by a blood test. Not the needle in the skin type that they do for people. Be sure to let the pet store people know that. They draw the blood at the vet and send it off to the lab. We used a place in Texas. Was kinda expensive but they ran over 60 different allergen tests. Took about 2 weeks for us to get the results and we could tell the owners what food and contact allergies the pet had. The lab even tested for flea allergy and if they where allergic to dog or cat dander! Imagine a dog allergic to dog dander!! We got a huge amount of info from the testing. Helped a lot of cats that had sessional allergies to the grass and pollens in the spring (doors and windows open so they came inside) Hope this helps everyone out who are dealing with potential allergies.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

As recommended by my previous dog's dermatologist, nizoral, a human shampoo for dandruff works wonders on dogs.
FYI he also said that the blood testing for allergies is highly inaccurate, both for false positives and falsh negatives - if you want to do immunotherapy, he would only do it based upon skin testing.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

You might consider Earthbath's yellow label shampoo. It's tearless and hypoallergenic. They may have a conditioner without oatmeal; I know one has it. If not, then another brand might work. Good job on avoiding the chicken and grains .


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Something that is helpful for skin is feeding organic, unrefined coconut oil. I get mine at Vitamin Shoppe if I can't find it at TJMaxx or Marshalls. Their store brand is reasonably priced. My dogs go nuts for it! Some dogs will lick it right off the spoon. I add it on top of my dogs' meals 2x daily, and they eat it first. To start out, feed 1/4 tsp per 10 pounds of body weight. Increase the dosage slowly, as tolerated, up to 1/2-1 tsp. per 10 pounds of body weight. If fed too much too soon, it can cause loose poo, due to it's richness, so increase slowly. If your dog experiences tummy upset, back off and decrease the dosage. It's also good topically, like a lotion, and smells good, too! It's a solid when cool, but melts easily when warm. It's healthy either way.

Another thing that helps is to feed canned sardines, packed in water only (try to find low salt if you can). For little dogs, feed 1/2 a sardine per day (up to 1/2 can per week), and for bigger dogs, one sardine per day (up to a can per week). Again, most dogs love them! I find them cheaper sometimes at stores, such as Big Lots or a Dollar Store, although sometimes they don't have them packed in water (important!). When you have 3 dogs like I do, you become savvy at finding good deals - lol!


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## cocojen (Oct 14, 2014)

georgiapeach said:


> Something that is helpful for skin is feeding organic, unrefined coconut oil. I get mine at Vitamin Shoppe if I can't find it at TJMaxx or Marshalls.


where would you find this at tjmax or marshalls? the housewares section?


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Hair loss could also indicate that a full thyroid panel might be advisable. If you search Dr. Dodds' Hemopet, you'll find her info and how to get the testing through her (this is an area of specialization for Dr. Dodds).


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