skin conditioner

MorgiesMom · 09-24-2008, 01:48 PM

My Baby girl (dog) has been scratching a lot in the last week or so, her skin is quite dry, is there an after bath conditioner that I can use, or can I use mine...

Graco22 · 09-24-2008, 05:51 PM

There are many different pet conditioners on the market. Many that you can purchase at your local pet supply store. You can use your conditioner as well, just be sure to rinse completely. You will see better results using a pet conditioner I think though. Dry skin is caused from diet most of the time, and you will see limited, if any, results by only conditioning. I would evaluate her diet as well, and resolve the problem that way.

MorgiesMom · 09-24-2008, 06:44 PM

thanks for the info, but I dont think its diet, she eats very healthy, and get all her vitamins, I think that maybe it has been the heat and then its gone suddenly quite cold here, which is unusual for NC, have given her a good bathing this evening and dried her really well, and lots of brushing, hope I will see a change.

Graco22 · 09-24-2008, 10:10 PM

I hope your girl improves as well.

poodleholic · 09-25-2008, 05:02 AM

A conditioner isn't going to resolve the dry skin problem, nor the itching. If it actually IS dry skin, then it's best addressed through diet and/or supplementing omega 3 fatty acids.

MorgiesMom · 09-25-2008, 09:04 AM

thanks poodle, we have been giving her olive oil in her food at the suggestion of the vet. but I guess it takes time to work.

Graco22 · 09-25-2008, 11:15 PM

Just curious, what kind of food are you feeding her?

MorgiesMom · 09-26-2008, 10:09 AM

we have always fed her Beneful, but thinking about it we tried a new purina food 2 weeks ago, and even though she liked it could this be the cause, on closer inspection I cannot find any "dry skin" or redness, and her scratching is confined to 2 places, one side of her neck and half way down her rib cage. Its really strange.

Graco22 · 09-26-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

we have always fed her Beneful, but thinking about it we tried a new purina food 2 weeks ago

Well, this could very well be your problem, and I would get her on a quality food right away. Beneful is one of the worst, if not the worst, food for dogs. They have the marketing, they have the pretty bag with all the GRAINS and veggies on it, etc. and people think its a good food and its just not. Dogs don't need all those grains. Dogs need protein from meat, they cannot process protein from corn and wheat, etc. Read your ingredient label..I guarantee you corn is one of the first 3 ingredients, and probably listed more than once...which means there is more corn than anything in the food. Corn, a cheap filler, nothing else. No nutritional value. And as far as any other purina food, I have yet to find one with an ingredient list that I would feed to any of my cats or dogs. Try going to dogfoodproject.com and dogfoodanalysis.com You will find an abundance of information on true quality foods and ingredients in pet foods. I am very confidant that if you get her on a good food, ( like taste of the wild, solid gold, wellness, orijen, nature's variety, etc.) you will see her itching/dry skin go away, and never return. Do keep us posted. Oh, and there is another section on this board about food and feeding, you could find an abundance of info there as well.