Dog Dandruff
When looking for solutions for dog dandruff it’s important to first find the cause and treat it rather than the symptom itself. Most of the time a dandruff issue is caused by a deficiency in their diet and is best treated that way. Introducing a diet that is rich with omega-3 fatty acids is a great way to help your dog’s skin. When introducing anything new to your dog’s diet, be careful to do it slowly otherwise you’ll end up with other issues to contend with like diarrhea and vomiting.
Flaxseed oil is another great way to keep your dog’s coat healthy and dandruff free. Again like anything else you introduce to your pets diet, be sure to do it a little at a time. Typically a tablespoon of flaxseed oil over their food is used; check with your vet before introducing anything new to be sure it is in line with the health of your pet. Another alternative or even addition to flaxseed oil is fish oil which some people prefer.
When giving your dog a bath adding a cup of natural rolled oats to the water has been a remedy many people have used to control dog dandruff. The oatmeal basically seals the oils into the skin that get stripped away using shampoo. This happens often to people that wash their dog too much, yes you can wash the too much. They have natural oils that are not only good for their skin but their hair as well. Oatmeal is also a great natural remedy because of its low impact on the environment if you’re worried about being green and natural. A bathing once per month is plenty as well as using a conditioner that is made for dogs to keep their coat healthy.
Something that is a little more work but super healthy for not only the skin of your dog but their coat is brushing. A daily brushing not only keeps your dog looking great it also stimulates oil release from their skin and pulls that oil through their coat. This will keep a nice sheen on their coat; remember watching those television shows with the women bushing their hair so many times before bed. It’s the same principle, some people say their hair is oily it could be all they really need is a good brushing!
Keep your dog hydrated. As simple as this sounds many pets get dehydrated, always keep a bowl of fresh clean water available. Some simple ways to tell if your dog is dehydrated is pressing their gums which should turn white and when let go quickly turn back to pink if it takes longer it could be a sign of dehydration. Another test you can do is to pull the nap of their neck up fairly snug and let go and see if it quickly returns back to normal or it takes a while to reshape. Finally, stringy mucus from their eyes may be another sign of dehydration. These conditions need to be addressed immediately if they aren’t drinking even after offering them clean water a call to your vet should be your next step, as this could be signs of something other than just dehydration.
If your dog’s condition is bad enough it may warrant a call to your veterinarian to have them looked at. Especially if they are always itching and flaking, your vet will do a quick skin test to see if there is an issue of something else other than just normal dog dandruff. This can be Cheyletiella mites that can cause skin irritation. Another name for these are “walking dandruff” which looks like dandruff moving around, this is caused by other contact with pets. Fleas can also increase dandruff as the constant scratching irritates the skin, see your vet for the best recommended way to control any flea issues.
A healthy pet constantly sheds their skin approximately every 3 weeks. Some dogs get a condition known as Seborrhea that speeds this process up along with attaching to it an odor. Seborrhea can either be dry or oily either way this will leave your dog’s skin inflamed. Psoriasis caused by a weak immune system can also cause dog dandruff, along with hypothyroidism. These conditions should be treated by a veterinarian rather than yourself.
