# very flaky/dry skin



## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

chicco has been having poop issues (see my other post) and so the other day he got poop on him so instead of just wiping him off i gave him a bath, bad idea, he has horribly dry skin,hes covered in flakes. but he did have dry skin before the bath so its not completely just from the bath, what can i do for him?
the dry skin is so bad his hair is thinning to the point where on his head you can see his scalp

carrera gets fish oil daily but the turn around time for that to take effect is 10-12 weeks so that wont solve chiccos problem now. what can i do for him?

--i shampooed him with earthbath puppy 

i believe it was "brodys mom" that said she gave him some type of powder? am i right on this, if so what was it and how long did it take to kick in?


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## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

also currently he is eating innova evo small bites


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## Harley's Mom (Feb 5, 2009)

Poor little dude! How long have you been feeding the evo? It could be a food allergy. Also, some dogs do have skin issues on grain free diets, so omega fatty acids need to be supplemented.

I don't know what part of the world you live in but there is a product called Missing Link that you can give as a supplement that helps boost the immune system and has all the omega's in it as well.

Good luck.


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## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

hes been on it for 3 weeks, i live in ohio i'll look into the missing link, thanks


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I have Brody on Nupro and the difference is absolutely amazing. It is similar to Missing Link if you look at the ingredients, both are a powder that you add/mix with food.

http://www.nuprosupplements.com/

It's not expensive either. I bought mine from a retailer on Ebay. It's the small dog formula so it is a tiny scoop twice a day. I think it was $13 plus shipping and I've had him on it almost a month and I've only used half of it.

I can't say enough good things about it. Especially in a black dog, every little flake of dandruff or dry skin really shows and it looks terrible! The nupro has made Brody's coat so smooth, it's like glass and he's really shiny. NO more dandruff. I mix a scoop with his Wellness morning and night. He's still a picky eater, so it didn't improve his appetite or anything, but he eats it OK.

I'll try and post some pics so you can see the difference in his coat. Wish I had a close up of his yucky dry skin/dandruff before, but you can see the dullness in the first picture. Now he's so shiny and people always comment on how shiny he is and how pretty his coat is. 

This is him before I started Nupro...










And here is the after picture taken just a few days ago....


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## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

thanks, i think i'll try that!


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Just be aware that it took a good 2.5 - 3 weeks to see a difference in Brody's coat. It's not an overnight fix since it works from the "inside out" so to speak. Also, he did have some occasional gas when he first started on it that was pretty BAD. Luckily that stopped too once his system got used to it. 

But like I said, it did get rid of his dandruff and now even his hair is growing back on the inside of his back legs! Before it was bare and he didn't have any hair there at all! He still has kind of a bald belly and very thin hair on the chest, but at least he's getting some hair on his thighs! 

I hope that Chicco feels better soon!! Keep us posted. Poor guy, he's been through a lot in his short little life.

Brodysmom


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

In case you wanted to compare Missing Link to Nupro, here are the ingredients for both... (copied from their website ingredient pages)


MISSING LINK CANINE FORMULA 

Flaxseed, Rice Bran, Primary Dried Yeast, Blackstrap Molasses, Sunflower Seed, Freeze Dried Beef Liver, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Carrot, Shark Cartilage Powder*, Freeze Dried Fish Protein Powder, Barley Grass Leaves Powder, Dried Kelp, Freeze Dried Oyster Powder, Zinc Monomethionine, Lecithin, Chromium Yeast, Selenium Yeast, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Garlic Powder, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, and Cobalamin (Vitamin B12). 
*Not from endangered species. 

Nupro - 

DESICCATED LIVER:The ultimate in palatability! This fresh, natural flavor of real liver is wonderful for the finicky eater because when mixed with water, makes a great gravy that dogs crave. Supplies iron and B vitamins

NORWEGIAN KELP:A natural seaweed that is a rich source of trace minerals including iodine, which is used for proper glandular function and metabolism. An excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E. These vitamins are beneficial for maintaining proper health and are responsible for the growth of bones, a healthy heart rate, a sound central nervous system, and helping muscles stay firm and strong. Norwegian kelp grows deep in the ocean, mostly in cold waters, so it contains valuable nutrients from the ocean floor. Aside from nourishing the glands, it is beneficial for overall good health. Supports healthy pigmentation and coat highlights.

MICROPULVERIZED BEE POLLEN:One of nature’s healthiest and most powerful ‘superfoods.’ Bee pollen contains an incredible array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. It’s one of the most nutritionally complete natural substances found on earth. Supports a healthy immune system. Keeps healthy hormones in balance. Supports allergy protection. 

IMPORTED YEAST CULTURE:Helps maintain a full and healthy coat which may minimize the occurrence of excessive shedding, hot spots and itchy, dry fur. Provides proteins, zinc and biotin. Best source of B vitamins. Most companies use cheaper brewers yeast which can be a combination of hops, corn, grains, wheat, etc., whatever comes from the brewery. Many animals have grain allergies, and this ingredient may further aggravate an allergy condition. With nutritional yeast culture, it is grown on sugar beets, a veggie source, so NO grains are present at all. Something to think about when reading ingredient labels.

FLAXSEED AND GROUND BORAGE SEEDrovides essential fatty acids. Most absorbable vegetable fatty acid for the canine. Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid, fiber and lignans. Helps maintain healthy shiny fur and soft skin. 

LECITHIN: A rich source of choline, which the body requires to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which is essential for normal, healthy nerve and brain function. Supports healthy liver function, too.

GARLIC CONCENTRATE:Wonderful ingredient that does so much for the body. Garlic contains allicin, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial capable of warding off different types of infection. Supports a healthy immune system.

LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUSromotes healthy digestion which may reduce the occurrence of flatulence. Because NUPRO is in a powdered form and not from concentrate, it is easily assimilated into the system and digested with the dog’s food. There is no sense in giving an animal this superior product if they don’t digest it properly. Also promotes friendly bacteria in intestinal tract.

CALCIUM CITRATE: Calcium is best absorbed in an acidic environment, hence calcium citrate is the best absorbed supplemental form of calcium---it does not require extra stomach acid for absorption. Intended to provide nutritive support for healthy bones, teeth and nerve function.


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## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

he already has HORRIBLE gas i dont think it can get much worse,he stunk up the whole car yesterday!

3 weeks is better then the 12 weeks fish oil takes, carreras fur filled in a lot from the fish oil, her bald belly is even growing fur now.

thanks for your help


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

This is the retailer I used on Ebay. It was only $10.50 plus shipping and he shipped quick. (I hope that links works, it's super long!) Ha!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nupro-Dog-Suppl...|66:4|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:200


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## KJT (Feb 9, 2009)

Harley's Mom said:


> Also, some dogs do have skin issues on grain free diets, so omega fatty acids need to be supplemented.


I'm just wondering -- what is it about grains that if some dogs don't get it, they can have skin issues? How does that relate?

I'm really only questioning because I've never heard of that correlation before and I'd love to know why.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

Funny you should mention this. I gave both Yoshi and Chibi a bath before Friday and both have the dryest scaliest skin I have ever seen. They have never had dry skin up until that bath. I did however use a new shampoo that I bought that is milk based shampoo/conditioner combo. I threw it away after I used it. I usually use oatmeal shampoo so I learned my lesson this go round ;-)

Chibi is a LC and you cant even see his skin but boy could you see flakes even on his white coat...weird?


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## Harley's Mom (Feb 5, 2009)

KJT said:


> I'm just wondering -- what is it about grains that if some dogs don't get it, they can have skin issues? How does that relate?
> 
> I'm really only questioning because I've never heard of that correlation before and I'd love to know why.


Hi KJT. Sorry I misspoke, it is not the omega's that are provided in grains but rather zinc and magnesium.

Here is the link that I discovered this info at. I had never heard of this correlation before either.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/education/articles/getting-into-grains.shtml

The thing that is great about this site is that their articles are not geared to supporting their food per se but rather educating pet owners so they can make an informed decision as to what kind of diet they want to feed their pets.


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## KJT (Feb 9, 2009)

Thanks! That's very interesting and might even explain some of the skin issues my dog's been having since going grain-free. I would assume that commercial diets usually add back the zinc and magnesium through supplementation, right?


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## LoLa's Mommy (Dec 7, 2008)

Nupro is a good suggestion. I can't say enough about the raw diet Lola and Leo have been on for the past month. Lola's dry skin was very noticeable because of her black coat. Now her skin is not dry at all and her coat is soooooooo shiny....all I have done is switch them to the raw/dry rotation diet.


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## carrera (Oct 8, 2008)

I don't know if I can handle to up keep of raw, we travel ALOT and often stay with relatives, I dont know how raw would work while were travelling. 

I ordered the NUPRO and also started Chicco on fish oil, but i was thinking since I am now set up for the inside to out treatment I wanted to see about something for just the outside. What about bag balm? I would apply it in his bad spots, right now he has a 100% bald spot on his tail, it is so bad! The dry skin cannot be comfortable...let me know what you guys think of bag balm. 

if you dont know what it is here is a link: http://bagbalm.com/


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I would be kind of afraid of something he could lick off. Bag Balm is kind of thick and sticky too. Smells kind of medicinal. It's definitely not real pleasant! It leaves kind of a gooey, oily residue on the skin. 

What about some kind of dog safe spray? I bought a conditioning spray at Petco that is supposed to be good for the skin and coat. It has a little bit of tea tree oil in it to promote healing. (I know that a LOT of tea tree oil can be bad). 

It is by Miracle Coat, which is a good brand. I have used it a lot on Brody, usually before we go to puppy class so that he smells nice. And afterward, since he's played with puppies and comes home smelling kind of doggy. 

http://www.petco.com/product/4604/M...izer-Spray-for-dogs.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch


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## SillySally (Jan 2, 2009)

Missing link is also a very good supplement for dry skin. Also a high quality dog food but it can take upto 3 mos to see a difference after switching to a higher quality food if your not already on it.


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## Brunos Mommy (Mar 5, 2009)

Ok-I hope this doesn't come off arrogant...bt, we own Holistic and Natural dog food stores and you are way better off to feed the honest kitchen of the Evo. Grain free kibble can have up to 4 times the amount of protein found in a dogs natural diet. It lacks moisture and can cause problems when not feed in conjunction with a wet food to even out the protein levels. Also, look for shampoo's free of Sodium Laurel Sulfate. I like the Dermagic Line of Shampoos....Just my two cents


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## T2woman (Jul 31, 2009)

Baby Bella is suffering from this.... She has the hair thinning I so appreciate the info you have here.


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