kmjscott Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Max is a 3 year old BC rescue. We have had him since he was a puppy. We had been treating him for demodectic mange for most of the first two years we had him, and it improved dramatically. Now we use Advantage Multi has his flea preventive/heartworm and also as an "off-label" mange treatment. My issue is that I still notice he scratches a lot a pulls out plugs of hair at his tail and on spots on his back. He has no fleas, and at his last scrape there were no mites present. I'm not sure what I can use to help him with the itching and hair pulling. He seems miserable and no shampoo that I've purchased has worked. Anybody have any suggestions?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Have you considered allergies - either food-related or perhaps environmental? I am sure others can give advice or tell you of their experiences with allergies in dogs. For dry skin, as most dog foods are low in fat compared to protein level, I add about a teaspoon of fat twice a day to my dogs' food. When the one came as a pup, he had dry, flaky skin. The added fat took care of that problem quickly. Remember to add the fat gradually, over a few days so as not to upset the digestive system. Thank you so much for giving Max a home that is obviously loving and caring! Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Friends of mine have had really good luck with some natural/herbal type of product they get at Wal-Mart for about $8-$12. I can't remember what it's called (can double check with them if you're interested), but it's just a small bottle of liquid and they add a few drops to the food. They've got an old Newfoundland that has had skin problems his whole life. He's been to several different vets, tried all kinds of different foods, been treated for hot spots etc. When I first saw him his coat was dull and all sparse and straggly, with really thin patches where you could see the skin. He would scratch himself raw and also make lick sores so they used to put a cone on him when they left the house. They made one more food switch, on which he did make some improvements, but they decided to give this natural product a try and it seems to be the best thing for him. Last time I was over at their place and saw him his coat was all thick and shiney again, he barely looked like the same dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4pack Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 What are you feeding?... There could be some issues there.. allergies, as was mentioned Fish oil may help too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmjscott Posted July 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Friends of mine have had really good luck with some natural/herbal type of product they get at Wal-Mart for about $8-$12. I can't remember what it's called (can double check with them if you're interested), but it's just a small bottle of liquid and they add a few drops to the food. They've got an old Newfoundland that has had skin problems his whole life. He's been to several different vets, tried all kinds of different foods, been treated for hot spots etc. When I first saw him his coat was dull and all sparse and straggly, with really thin patches where you could see the skin. He would scratch himself raw and also make lick sores so they used to put a cone on him when they left the house. They made one more food switch, on which he did make some improvements, but they decided to give this natural product a try and it seems to be the best thing for him. Last time I was over at their place and saw him his coat was all thick and shiney again, he barely looked like the same dog. Yes, I would very much appreciate if you would get that info. for me. At this point we are willing to try anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmjscott Posted July 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 What are you feeding?... There could be some issues there.. allergies, as was mentioned Fish oil may help too We actually changed dog foods a couple times within that first year or so because we thought there were food allergies as well. He has been eating Beneful Healthy Coat for over a year now and it seems/ed okay. We had a quite a long period where it seemed that he was doing fine, his coat was full and shiny and now lately this. I looked at trying fish oil, but only found capsules so I wasn't quite sure if that was the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Yes, I would very much appreciate if you would get that info. for me. At this point we are willing to try anything. I'll double check with them what it is called. I meant to ask already and it slipped my mind when I saw them. They're in the process of moving and are very busy back and forth between the 2 places right now. I would have just emailed, but at their new location they're now on dial-up (like me) instead of highspeed and I don't think they have the time to bother with that right now with the moving. I will make sure to ask them what that product is called though, and let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 I am not familiar with Beneful Healthy Coat but, as regular Beneful is (despite its cutsey name) not a good quality dog food, you might want to find something of better quality to feed. It is possible that, while he did well with it until recently, the formulation may have undergone a change and it just doesn't suit him any more. With the current economy, it is not only grains like corn and wheat that are experiencing price hikes - as farmers turn to planting higher-valued and productive corn, it means that other grain crops (and oil grain crops) may be reduced in planting acreage and their prices are also rising. As a result, it appears that many animal feed formulations may be undergoing changes and not for the better, as filler and less nutritious grains/components may be substituted for those that are rising in price. I would seriously look at a higher quality dog food (or raw feeding, if possible for you). Canidae (and some have pointed out that its formulation may have taken a downturn), Eagle Pack, and Innova are a few of the better quality, holistic brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Our 7 month old BC pup had dry skin when we first got her. I noticed a lot of white flakes all of the time. We have fed her California Natural puppy food since we got her, and she does well on that. I found a product they (California Natural) make for skin and coat, that has completely gotten rid of her dry. It is just an oil you had on top of their food. It has a combo of garlic oil, Zinc, fatty acids and other things. Every time people see her, they comment on how shiny and nice her coat is! It has really made a difference for her, and she loves to eat her food with it on there. Maybe that will help you...............Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouettestable Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I finally got the name of that product for you. It's called (or made by) Dr. Goodpet and it's their "Scratch Free" formula. Apparently they have a website so if you look up Dr. Goodpet you may be able to find more info on it. My friends said that they were pretty skeptical of it at first since they had tried so many other things, but thought that it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. They said that in a matter of days they could see a huge improvement in their Newf. Hope it helps Max as much if you give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmjscott Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I finally got the name of that product for you. It's called (or made by) Dr. Goodpet and it's their "Scratch Free" formula. Apparently they have a website so if you look up Dr. Goodpet you may be able to find more info on it. My friends said that they were pretty skeptical of it at first since they had tried so many other things, but thought that it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. They said that in a matter of days they could see a huge improvement in their Newf. Hope it helps Max as much if you give it a try. Thanks a lot! I will let you know how it works for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmjscott Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I would like to thank everyone for their responses and ideas in helping us find a remedy for Maxs' skin issues. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninso Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I use this supplement, which contains fish oil and other oils along with Vitamin E, so I don't have use a separate Vitamin E supplement (apparently you're supposed to use Vitamin E anytime you add an oil to the diet because processing the oils uses up Vitamin E). I get it at my local natural pet food store, but there are lots of places online to get it. It's in liquid form, rather than a pill and it's helped a lot with my dog's dry skin as well as making his coat extra soft and shiny. He loves the taste too! http://shop.planetgreen.discovery.com/halo...duct_71584.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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