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ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > dry skin (10 replies)
dry skin by dmo171 on 19 April 2012 - 16:30 |
| My gsd puppy is about 18 weeks old and has dry skin. She is always itching and scratching and biting herself. Is this normal? How can I get her to stop? Could she be allergic to something? |
dmo171 by Jyl on 19 April 2012 - 16:55 |
There could be several reasons why she is itchy. It could be her age, she might be shedding her puppy coat and getting her adult one. If you live in a dryer climate that could be part of the reason too. If you bathe her to often that could make her itchy as well. What food do you feed her? |
Jyl by Barenfell on 19 April 2012 - 19:28 |
| Have you tried an elimination diet to see if she has allergies? Try either home cooking with a single new protein and carb source for a month or two, or switch to a grain-free food like Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets. Omega 3 fatty acids (found in things like fish oil) can be helpful...as the previous person posted...you could add salmon oil or sardines to her diet. Bathing with an oatmeal/aloe shampoo can help soothe the skin as well. Have you taken her to the vet to get an opinion on the cause? |
by dmo171 on 19 April 2012 - 20:06 |
| We feed her the costco brand kirkland puppy food and we have been feeding her the salmon oil with meals. Maybe she is shedding her puppy coat, she does shed allot when we brush her. We also have a vet appointment tomorrow. Thanks for the replies |
by dmo171 on 19 April 2012 - 20:16 |
| ”Try either home cooking with a single new protein and carb source for a month or two, or switch to a grain-free food like Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets.” Barenfell, can you elaborate on home cooking please for me. We tried raw diet after couple days , all chicken, thinking it would stop the itching. Poor baby got sick and we went back to the kibble and added the salmon oil. Her diet and energy is fine (I think) but she is still itching all the time. |
by Juno11 on 19 April 2012 - 21:39 |
Safflower oil or flax is good too. I've been adding safflower to my dogs food and her coat is very shiny. There could be something in the dog food that she's allergic too. I don't think pet food companies have to list all the ingredients. Good suggestions from the other posts about the elimination diet. There is a test the vet can do for food allergies but I'm not sure how accurate it is. |
by Eldee on 19 April 2012 - 21:48 |
| Add a tiny bit of coconut oil to her food. knowing what i know now about EPI and digestion in dogs coconut oil is the perfect solution for skin issues and digestion. I found that Taste of the Wild ( the salmon one ) really helped my dog with dry skin. |
Eldee by Beardog on 20 April 2012 - 00:17 |
| I found that one bitch I have was getting too much protein and changed her food. I use Jojoba oil after baths and work it in. You can get it at beauty supply stores at a resonable price. |
Beardog by yellowrose of Texas on 21 April 2012 - 01:14 |
| make sure she is worm free..YOu can worm her yourself ...Keep a schedule and inspect her poop daily.. Get rid of grains in food...read Wheat Bellies by Dr William Davis... also salmon oil sometimes is a problem for dogs ...if nothing happens soon, try coconut oil and a little extra virgin Olive oil once daily...It IS A SOLUTION TO digestion also. all these things have to be done for 3 months or more to result and do their work... system didn't get this way over night.. so be patient no grains of wheat or corn in food.. Rice may be all .... meat and no preservatives. YR |
yellowrose of Texas by yellowrose of Texas on 21 April 2012 - 01:15 |
| I am almost afraid of what the vet will prescribe..for a german shepherd>>>>>>lol YR Most vets do not know how to feed german shepherds..so take note. |
by Barenfell on 24 April 2012 - 02:17 |
| Sounds like you made a fast food switch, which many dogs won't tolerate. I generally will take a week or two to do a food change with a dog that is sensitive to new foods, unless the dog has a true food intolerance (vomiting/diarrhea) where a fast change would be preferred. I've had a dog with allergies and another with severe food intolerances due to chronic SIBO. Both are very difficult to deal with for different reasons, but I was able to resolve the food intolerance issue...my other dog still suffers to some degree from allergies. Personally, I don't like chicken for elimination diets. First, it's found in too many commercial foods to be sure that you're actually doing an elimination diet...you'll find chicken or chicken fat in a lot of foods as secondary ingredients. Second, the raw poultry that you buy at the grocery store is dipped in chlorine before its packaged to try to kill the bacteria so it remains "fresh" longer. They then inject the meat with salt water to cover the taste of the chlorine that's absorbed. The friendly flora in the gut makes up a huge portion of their immune system...so chlorine, that kills bacteria, is something that I try to avoid. An elimination diet is very simply a single novel protein (something they haven't ever eaten before) and a novel carbohydrate. You feed ONLY that food for a number of weeks/months, then add one new food at a time...once every week or two... until you develop a balanced diet. If the dog starts itching with any new addition, stop feeding it and put it on a list of foods not to use in the future. If your dog has been on chicken-based food, I would try something like venison, lamb, bison, or rabbit as a protein source. (Try Hare-Today.com if you can't find it locally.) Feed it raw or cooked...your preference. Raw has more natural enzymes, so some people prefer that over cooked foods. I would also steam some sweet potatoes (must be cooked to be digestible) for a carb source, since most dogs have had corn, wheat, rice, oats, barley, etc in their commercial dog food. I find that white potatoes tend to lead to yeast infections in my dogs due to the high starch content. I tend to feed more protein and less carb than most diets call for, since I believe that is a more natural diet for dogs. Here's some links you might find helpful... http://www.healthypetjournal.com/default.aspx?tabid=20623 http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/KnowledgeBase/knowledgebaseresults.aspx?SubjectID=13211&SubjectName=Allergies
http://dog-allergy-info.com/elimination-diet/ |
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