Dog Dandruff
Symptoms of Dog Dandruff
* Dry coat with flakes of skin
* Licking
* Scratching
* Possible redness of the skin in areas
Causes of Dog Dandruff
Older dogs are more prone to suffering from dog dandruff, especially if they feel the cold and lie next to a heater.
Dog dandruff is not a disease, but a symptom. It can be due to
* something missing in your dog’s diet that is causing an excessively dry skin.
* an allergy to the food your dog is eating
* too frequent bathing of your pet
* using flea or human shampoos – they both tend to dry dog’s skin out
Similar flakes in your dog’s coat might be caused by
* flea infestation and continuous scratching
* mites or “walking dandruff” when he comes in contact with other infected animals, usually when walking
* allergies
It can also be the first sign of a mange infestation or other disease in your pet. It is important to watch the progress of
dandruff and take further steps if it does not clear up.
Treatment of Dog Dandruff
You need to treat any underlying cause of your dog’s dandruff. Further than that the rule of thumb is to:
1. Brush your dog every day with a firm brush. He will love it and it will stimulate his natural skin oil
production and spread the natural oils through the length of his hair so it becomes shiny.
2. Do not bath your dog too regularly. Bathing dries the skin. It is sufficient to bath him once a month.
3. Bath your dog in lukewarm water, not hot water. Hot water dries skin. You can add a cup of rolled oats to his
bath water. Oats seal the natural oils into the skin so it doesnot dry out.
4. Rinse your dog very well after bathing to wash out all the shampoo.
5. If your dog gets dirty, wipe him down with a damp towel
6. Check your dog’s diet. Use a high quality dog food with no corn, wheat or soy. These ingredients often cause
allergies in dogs.
7. Add omega 3 oils to your dog’s diet. This can be given in the form of a fish oil or flaxseed oil. You can
pour a tablespoon of the oil over your dog’s food daily.
8. Make sure your dog always has sufficient drinking water available so he does not become dehydrated.
9. Exercise your dog to keep him in shape, a healthy dog will develop a healthy skin too.
Note that when making changes to your dog’s diet, you should do so gradually over a week or so. A sudden change can upset his stomach.
If the dandruff is persistent, severe or does not respond to treatment, you should visit your vet. There may be an underlying cause of the dandruff that needs to be treated.
Dog dandruff is usually easily cured. It should not be any bother to your pet, and with treatment, he should regain a beautiful shiny coat.
