Show Medium  5 - 10 Minutes 1 Week IntroductionDry skin in dogs can have a number of causes; medical conditions such as metabolic or hormone imbalances, allergies, and parasitic, bacterial or yeast infections can all cause or contribute to dry skin. Poor grooming, lack of grooming, under bathing, or overbathing with detergents and soaps that dry skin can also be factors, and environmental conditions such as exposure to heat and low humidity can cause dry skin in your dog, much the same as it does in humans. Conditioning your dog's dry skin can provide relief, however, addressing underlying causes is also recommended to keep your dog's skin in good shape. Dry skin can become more easily damaged from itching or interference, or subject to infection with bacteria and yeast, so counteracting it is important for your dog’s health. There are a number of things you can do to condition your dog's dry skin.
Dog's PerspectiveIf you notice your dog constantly scratching, licking or chewing at his skin, dry itchy skin could be the issue. When we humans suffer from dry skin we apply moisturizer over our smooth, hairless skin. Easy, right? However, that is not always quite as practical for your fur or hair-covered dog. Your dog takes measure to groom himself, hopefully, licking off dirt and debris and spreading body oils with his tongue. That should help prevent dry skin, but sometimes he may need some help. Taking steps to help with grooming and applying topical conditioning to alleviate dry skin can make your dog more comfortable. Brush your dog daily to remove debris and prevent mats and tangles that can contribute to dry skin by restricting air flow to skin. Brushing also helps to distribute your dogs natural doggy oils. Massage your dog with a rubber glove to further distribute body oils and increase blood flow to skin and provide nutrients to skin tissues. Bath your dog regularly, 1-2 times a month, and not more than 1-2 times per week, to prevent over or under bathing. Buildups of oil and dirt can cause dry skin, as can excessive exposure to water and soap. When you bathe your dog, use a moisturizing dog-safe shampoo. Rinse well to remove residual buildup and apply a moisturizing conditioner available at your local pet supply store. Do not use human shampoo and conditioner. Do not use a blow dryer to dry your dog, instead pat dry with a towel, and put your dog in a warm, dry location to air dry or use fans to dry your dog. Recommend grooming method? Use a shampoo and conditioner containing colloidal oatmeal. Certain essential oils can be added to shampoo to combat dry skin. Rinse your dog with apple cider vinegar. Mix vinegar 50/50 with water. Apply coconut oil to your dog's skin. Melt coconut oil until it is in liquid form--make sure it is not too hot, just warm. Rub the oil on your dog's hair and use a brush to distribute it through his coat. Apply commercial moisturizers to your dog's nose and paws. Products made with natural materials are available at pet supply stores or you can apply coconut or olive oil directly to paws and dry skin on your dog's nose. Discuss nutrition and environmental changes with your vet. Making some adjustments could relieve and prevent your dog's dry skin, such as diet changes, increasing humidity in your home or avoiding possible allergens. Recommend grooming method? Caution & Considerations
ConclusionWe are all familiar with dry, itchy skin, especially those of us that live in a dry climate, whether it is cold and dry or hot and dry. Your dog is not immune to dry skin just because he is covered in hair. In fact, this just makes it harder to treat his dry skin, as his hair forms a natural barrier when applying moisturizer and conditioner. Investigate causes of dry skin and address issues. Regular grooming and appropriate bathing with moisturizing shampoos can help alleviate Fido's dry skin. Dietary supplements and humidifiers can help mitigate medical conditions and environmental factors. Several natural moisturizers can be used on your dog's dry skin and especially on exposed skin on the nose and paw pads, including coconut oil and olive oil. There is no need for your dog to suffer from dry skin. Even a trip to your kitchen cupboard can help; oatmeal, vinegar, and oils can all be used to bring relief to your itchy pooch. Success Stories and Grooming QuestionsGrooming Questions & AnswersI moved into my new place and this sweet boy I guess came with it?? He was very undernourished and as you can see not well taken care of..I have had some concerns on his hair loss and scratching and licking of his back and legs. I have treated him for fleas they were terrible.. Please help me if you can..Thanks Hi Misty, it's wonderful that you are taking care of Lupo so well. You have treated Lupo for fleas; I hope the eradication of these pests gives him relief. Your home will need treatment, too to ensure that all fleas and eggs are removed. Based on the fact that Lupo is malnourished and has skin problems, I think a vet visit is warranted to check on his health and make sure that he can move forward with continued improvement. The vet can also advise on how to get rid of fleas in the house. All the best with Lupo! Was this experience helpful?
He has dry itchy skin and scratches a lot ( I heard this is common for this breed which we think he is , not sure because he’s a rescue from Mississippi) Hi Lisa, Dougie looks like a beautiful companion! My advice would be to take him to the veterinarian so that they can determine the cause of the itching. There could be reasons such as ticks, mites or other parasites that are difficult to see, an allergy such as to his food or due to an environmental cause, or even heat rash. The vet will be able to diagnosis the cause and provide treatment which will give Douggie the relief he needs. I recommend the vet because often itching can lead to secondary infection (say, if Douggie has raw skin and dirt from his paws enters the wound). Hope this helps! Was this experience helpful? She continously bites and scratches herself. We thought maybe becuase of fleas but they arnt visible and didnt come out when we gave her a bath. Any idea what it could be if so what can I do for her? Hi there, because Oralie is so young, I would take her to the vet to rule out conditions like pyoderma, allergies to food, hypothyroidism, or a parasitic infection that is not visible to the eye. A lot of itching and scratching can lead to secondary infection and I am sure you must want to see Oralie find relief. There can be many reasons for the problem, so it is crucial that the right cause is treated. Good luck! Was this experience helpful? So my girl has very dry flaky skin. It looks like dandruff when I move the hair around. I am going to try the coconut oil bath treatment, but what else do you recommend I try? She had pancreatitis so I can't give her dog food that is too high in fat or give the salmon or other oils ingested. Also does the vinegar for the rinse have to be ACV? Or will regular white vinegar work the same? Thank you for the question about Sake'. How long has she had the dry skin and has the vet assessed the condition yet? Consult your vet to rule out a health issue. Try the coconut oil treatment but make sure that she does not ingest it since she has pancreatitis. As for the regular vinegar, I think it may be more harsh and drying than the Apple Cider Vinegar. Most natural remedy recipes use Apple Cider Vinegar. Keep in mind that too much bathing can have the opposite effect - overbathing can dry the skin out. The vet will have a reliable and gentle product for dandruff as well, so mention that if you do contact your vet. Good luck! Was this experience helpful? We have 4 animals, 2 dogs and 2 cats so when George started scratching and licking himself frequently, we assumed it was fleas. We proceeded to check the other other animals as well as George but found nothing and as Our other 3 animals weren't scratching more than normal we concluded that fleas are not the problem. We haven't changed his food, or anything else in his lifestyle/routine. Our next step is to bring his to the vet but was hoping there was something else we could try before having to do that. Please help, want to he able to stop this. Thx Thank you for the question. George is so handsome - I love the Newfoundland! There could be many causes for the itchiness and scratching. There could be a bacterial or fungal disease (and with George's thick coat it may be difficult to see). There could be an environmental or food allergy developing only now, or bug bites. Because there could be many reasons, I would take George to the vet, especially if it is something contagious to your other pets. All the best! Was this experience helpful? We have a Peruvian Inca Orchid who has no hair apart from on her head, tail, and paws. She gets dry, we apply coconut oil but she licks it off is there anything else we can use? Ethel is a very unique and cute dog! I am not familiar with the skincare for this breed. My recommendation is to ask the vet for suggestions to ensure that you are using a safe and effective product. The vet can suggest something that will not be harmful when licked. Ask about putting a humidifier in the room where she sleeps to add moisture to the air. As well, supplements like Omega-3 can be used - the vet can give you the proper dosage for Ethel. All the best and thank you for the question! Was this experience helpful? Hi there, Thank you for the cute pictures and the question. Yes, coconut oil is a good product to add to the food. Just be careful to add it very slowly, a little bit at a time to allow them to get used to it. Olive oil is another good choice. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/wellness/could-olive-oil-help-your-dogs-dry-flaky-skin. As well, I am sure you can call your veterinarian office too, and ask the question, especially since the dogs were just there. Good luck! Was this experience helpful? help! my dog recently went to the dog park and went in the swimming area and prior to that he went to the groomers about 2 weeks before. i first thought it was dry skin then it looks kind of infected and he has more than one patch but they are little ones not as big as the one in the picture. idk if it’s a flea allergy, or a reaction or the shampoo the groomers used, or if it was from the bacteria in the water at the dog park Thank you for the question. It's hard to tell what this may be. I think the safest bet is to take Tokey to the vet. The skin issue could be any number of things including flea allergy, ringworm or other parasite, etc. Rather than have Tokey's skin get worse and develop into a serious infection, have the vet treat the problem. There is a possibility of the skin condition being contagious so that adds another aspect to the situation too. The vet can also advise whether your house and belongings need a cleaning process, too. Good luck! Was this experience helpful? My three year old shih tzu (BOY) has dry flaky skin. He doesn't have any redness or itching. He just got groomed on Sunday, I don't know if they over bathed him or if it's this cold weather. He's pretty healthy. What would you recommend for his dry skin? Oils? Hello, Kyrie may have dry skin due to the onset of cold weather, or yes, maybe from the grooming. Either way, if he starts to itch incessantly, the flakes get worse, or his skin becomes red and inflamed, please see the vet to rule out out a medical issue or something like mites. In the meantime, you can try gently brushing him regularly to distribute his natural oils: https://wagwalking.com/grooming/prevent-a-dogs-dry-skin. You can also try coconut oil as described here: https://wagwalking.com/grooming/brush-a-dog-with-coconut-oil. Good luck and enjoy little Kyrie! Was this experience helpful? We just got her groomed after a prolonged lockdown prevented us from getting her hair cut. She did have some mats but we keep her hair fairly close cut so that doesn't happen normally. This time however, Rooby came
back from the groomers scratching like it was nobody's business! Long story, short, I would like you to explain the coconut oil thing to me again as described above but go in to more detail. Roo has scratched herself raw in a few places and I'd like to get this corrected before it gets worse. Hello, I hope that Rooby gets relief soon. I would consult her vet too, just to get their opinion on the situation. They may have a recommendation that will provide relief sooner than anything you can do at home, preventing Rooby from scratching herself too much and causing infection. In the meantime, I do have two guides that can help you with the coconut oil. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/wellness/does-coconut-oil-have-benefits-for-dogs and here: https://wagwalking.com/grooming/bathe-a-dog-with-coconut-oil. If the coconut oil does not provide relief or if Rooby starts to scratch even more, be sure to call the vet. Also, if Rooby's skin is looking irritated or inflamed, hold off on the coconut oil and call the vet. All the best to Rooby! Was this experience helpful? More Dog Grooming Guides
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