Question: What supplements are good for maintaining healthy skin & coats in dogs?
My dog Cowboy -- a blue merle border collie/Australian shepherd mix -- has skin flare-ups like clockwork around this time of year (early fall).
I typically have to resort to a short course of prednisone treatment and while that clears it up quickly, I began wondering what else I could do to keep his coat healthier and hold our seasonal problems to a minimum.
I've given both Cowboy and Tess (who also began itching more than usual this fall, though her coat is much shinier and requires less maintenance than Cowboy's) Omega oil capsules but recently increased the dose (after more carefully reading the label, I found I was giving less than the recommended amounts).
I also am trying a couple teaspoons of Missing Link canine formula in their food. My vet tells me that many dogs show good improvement with this, though not all of them respond. Either way, he said it isn't harmful to try for a month.
Some of this seems to be making a difference. Cowboy's coat already feels softer and both dogs seem to be scratching less.
But here's my question for readers: What, if any, supplements have you found effective for skin and coat issues?
4 Comments
Leave a comment
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
You can try using homeopathic dietary methods to treat skin conditions and coat problems or you can use traditional method of raw eggs on your dog's kibble.
Hope your dog healthy :)
Thanks for both responses. I did give cowboy a Benadryl one day a couple weeks ago when his eye began getting really weepy and crusty and that cleared it up well. The prednisone is only needed a couple times in the early fall, so the use is very limited and they have a long shelf life so I've had pills from the original prescription from 2-3 years ago that's still good. But meanwhile, the supplements seem to be helping a lot. it's been 2 weeks now since I've had my dogs on the Missing Link supplement & an increased dose of the Omega 3 caps and Cowboy's coat is much better (softer than it's ever been, I think). His hair has begun growing again on the bare spot near his tail and everything seems to be much improved. So I think I'll stick with this regimen and see if it's enough to help prevent or get us through next fall's flare up. I'll also check out that link, Diane, thanks much!
MANY dogs react to environmental allergies at certain times of the year. And fortunately, before you have to resort to Prednisone (which is very hard on the liver) many dogs respond very well to over-the-counter Benedryl. Here is a link to a discussion of it: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061029124604AApIirY
I've had GREAT success with Benedryl.
In addition, dogs who don't respond to Benedryl usually respond to OTC Chlortrimeton:
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/chlorpheniramine-maleate-chlor-trimeton/page1.aspx
Also, supplementing your dog's food with Omega3 fatty acids has been known to help.
Oh what a sweet looking dog. My furry boy a maltese also has intermittent skin problems. A dog's skin problem can be caused by many factors. It could be environmental or internal. Generally, I avoid prescription drugs as long term use will lead to liver failure, without actually solving the problem. I prefer to boost their immune system through diet. You mentioned omega fish oil, that is good. You can also try enchinicea and ginseng slices.