Recently in dog health Category

A little over a year ago, I posted about the ongoing problems I was having with my dog Cowboy who experienced skin flare-ups (especially in the fall) that caused some hot spots, hair loss and generally very dry (flaky) and itchy skin, mostly on his lower back at the base of his tail.

Consulting with my vet, I began a course focusing on more fish oil caps and adding Missing Link to his food. It gave us excellent results.

There were no more bare patches or hair loss. The hot spots cleared up.

But Cowboy still had rather dry, flaky skin in some spots. The dandruff would fly up like snow flakes when you'd scratch his tail end.

So when I had all the pets in for annual exams earlier this year, my vet suggested adding one more thing -- a teaspoon of organic coconut oil in his food.

Amazing.

I still see a bit of dandruff, but not much. The other day someone commented on how wonderful Cowboy's coat looked when we were at the dog park. And you know what? It really does look nice, so full now.

And according to this "Dog Naturally" article on the benefits of coconut oil for dogs, there are other pluses as well, including more energy, helping with "doggy" odor, healing digestive disorders, and boosting the immune system.

You can buy it at Ralph's and Trader Joe's -- go for organic in the glass jars. You'll find it in the baking aisle.




I've also recently switched to a grain-free food for the dogs.

As always, check with your veterinarian first.

Has anybody else used coconut oil for their dogs?

Lotus Pet Foods, a brand of natural pet foods carried by Centinela Feed in Southern California along with other independent stores, is opening a new manufacturing plant at 2727 Maricopa St. in Torrance.

A grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday (April 7).

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?