Dandruff like a Snowstorm

Buttercup · 10-21-2007, 06:46 PM

Well, maybe not quite that bad. But it just hasn't seemed to get any better. I switched him to Canidae about a week and a half ago and I haven't given him a bath in a couple of weeks, but he still just has flake all over. He is a 4 month old Aussie mix and I've had him since he was 7 weeks and he has always had this problem. Do I need to just give the new food some more time? He doesn't scratch excessively or seem bothered by it. I only bath him when necessary (mess in crate that gets on him, a lot of mud). Is there a supplement I might need to add for his skin? I brought it up to the vet, and he just kind of blew it off and said they always shed more when they come into the vet's office, and asked me what I was feeding him. Thanks for your advice.

Durbkat · 10-21-2007, 06:48 PM

Perhaps its the shampoo your using, what are you using?

Buttercup · 10-21-2007, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durbkat

Perhaps its the shampoo your using, what are you using?

When I first got him, I used a generic puppy shampoo from Petsmart for maybe 2 full baths and several partial baths (for accidents in the crate). This last bath I used a generic oatmeal & aloe vera one that I got from Petmeds.com. Do you have one you would recommend? I didn't even think about the shampoo being a culprit. I would be willing to pay for a pricey one since I would really only like to bath him once every month or so and it doesn't take a whole lot of shampoo per bath.

Durbkat · 10-21-2007, 07:00 PM

Well that is what I was going to suggest, the one you currently use, as that is what my vet recommended when my dog was itchy.Edit: I just re-read and saw you are already feeding canidae.

FilleBelle · 10-21-2007, 07:03 PM

Canidae is a great product, but the chances of seeing a change in your dog in just one week are small. Give the food some time to do its thing. You might see an improvement in the dandruff soon.

Make sure that the shampoo/conditioner you use when you do bath your dog is made for canines, not for people. Dogs and humans have a different pH balance, so they need different products for their skin. Dry skin shampoos with oatmeal in them might be your best bet. Also, make sure that you are thoroughly rinsing your dog after you bath him, so that there is no soapy residue.

Brush your dog often. Just as in people, brushing your dog stimulates its skin, producing more oils to moisturize it.

Food supplements with a fatty acid in them might be beneficial.

If you've tried all of this and the flakes persist, you need to be forceful about your vet looking into the situation, because it could be an indicator of an allergy, skin infection, or pest.

ETA: Durb, you and I were posting at the same time. I think you're right on :-)

Buttercup · 10-21-2007, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durbkat

Well that is what I was going to suggest, the one you currently use, as that is what my vet recommended when my dog was itchy. But I also noticed that the constant itching stopped when I switched foods. What are you feeding him? I fed my dog purnia puppy chow and now I'm slowly switching him over to canidae and the itching has decreased alot and he sheds less as well.

He gets Canidae, but has only been completely on that for less than two weeks. Before that I fed him Science Diet Puppy (on the advice of his vet

). Like I said before, he doesn't scratch a lot, he just has a lot of dandruff which I notice when I pet him and brush him.

Durbkat · 10-21-2007, 07:08 PM

Yea, I forgot you mentioned that you fed him canidae, sorry. Vets don't know alot about dog nutrition as my vet never even heard of canidae. lol

Renoman · 10-21-2007, 07:19 PM

Give the Canidae more time. It takes about 4-6 weeks before you see any real change.

You could add some salmon oil to the dog's food or try giving him 1 sardine a day - (packed in water not oil) which will give him all the Omegas he needs.

For shampoos, I like the Kenic brand. They're soap and detergent free but they do a great job and are very gentle on the skin. They come in a variety of formulas. Kenic also makes some moisturizing sprays you can use between shampoos to help keep his skin moist. They work great and smell good too

Virbac also makes a shampoo called Epi-Soothe - it's an oatmeal based formula which might work. When you bathe him, make sure you've rinsed all the shampoo out. Sometimes shampoo that's left behind will cause flaking. Rinse him really well. I would not bathe too often, but as others said, brushing works wonders.

The big thing is giving the food more of a chance... and maybe adding the oil or sardine to his food just to jump start things. You can always eliminate them later if you want.

lovemygreys · 10-21-2007, 10:27 PM

Give it more time on the new food.

yodarunner · 10-22-2007, 02:20 AM

Oddball here - But I've found that lamb and rice food mixed in with their regular food REALLY makes a difference. So does regular brushing... well weekly brushings

But again, you won't see "immediate" results...

Buttercup · 10-22-2007, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renoman

Give the Canidae more time. It takes about 4-6 weeks before you see any real change.

You could add some salmon oil to the dog's food or try giving him 1 sardine a day - (packed in water not oil) which will give him all the Omegas he needs.

For shampoos, I like the Kenic brand. They're soap and detergent free but they do a great job and are very gentle on the skin. They come in a variety of formulas. Kenic also makes some moisturizing sprays you can use between shampoos to help keep his skin moist. They work great and smell good too

Virbac also makes a shampoo called Epi-Soothe - it's an oatmeal based formula which might work. When you bathe him, make sure you've rinsed all the shampoo out. Sometimes shampoo that's left behind will cause flaking. Rinse him really well. I would not bathe too often, but as others said, brushing works wonders.

The big thing is giving the food more of a chance... and maybe adding the oil or sardine to his food just to jump start things. You can always eliminate them later if you want.

Well, I went to the stores today and got the sardines, but I had no luck finding those brands of shampoo at either of 2 major pet stores in my area. Do you have to order those online?

Also, I thought sardines were little fish? The can I got (the ONLY brand that was packed in water) wasn't little fish, but large chunks of bigger fish. I gave him about a finger size amount, but I wonder are sardines no longer little fish now?

Annamarie · 10-23-2007, 03:06 AM

i don't think canidae has corn in it, but our dog had an allergy to corn that caused the worst dandruff. it took about a month after the switch in food to see a difference. there could be something in the food that he's allergic to, a lot of dogs are allergic to corn, wheat, soy, etc.

also omega 3 pills helped quite a bit. there was a really big improvement in his coat after adding a few drops of sunflower oil to his food as well.

borzoimom · 10-23-2007, 07:58 AM

I am glad you switched food but there are two additives you could use that helps alot with the skin condition. One is Sold gold seameal. Another good one is " IN-flight". Dr. Fosters and smith "Vita-coat plus" is another good and easier to get than the In-flight. Giving small doses of vitamin C might help. I am guessing your puppy weighs about 20 pounds right? If that is the case- 100 mg at night might help.
As far as shampoo- there is a great one for dogs with dry skin. Its called "Ikeria" and i use the " restore and renew" for jasmine. Alot of shampoos as long as it says hypoallergenic would help. Also a cream rinse that states the same hypoallergenic would probably help as well.

Renoman · 10-23-2007, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Well, I went to the stores today and got the sardines, but I had no luck finding those brands of shampoo at either of 2 major pet stores in my area. Do you have to order those online?

Also, I thought sardines were little fish? The can I got (the ONLY brand that was packed in water) wasn't little fish, but large chunks of bigger fish. I gave him about a finger size amount, but I wonder are sardines no longer little fish now?

Sorry you're having such a hard time here. If you can't find Kenic at any of your major pet stores, have you tried some of the smaller independent stores or feed/grain stores. Failing that, if you go on line to the Kenic website they might have a 'where to buy' section that might help you. Also, try www.kvvet.com or www.valleyvet.com. I think one of these places sells it.

As for the sardines, they are little fish. Sometimes in the tin they look like pieces What brand did you get? I like the Brunswick brand. Beachcliff is ok as well and long as they are packed in water - you should be ok.

Ginny01OT · 10-23-2007, 08:15 PM

Canidae is a great dog food. I have a cat that has dandruff like a snow storm. I took Teddi to the vet and Teddi is a little overweight, the vet said the excess dandruff had something to do with his liver and his overweightness. On the upswing, that was 12 years ago--he is now 15 (we got him as a rescue cat at about 2 or 3)--still has a lot of dandruff but looks great for his age!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are really concerned you may want to do a blood work up to check his liver efficiency (if he is overweight, may not be necessary but still mention it to the vet)