skin question

[mickler]

Good morning everyone!!

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for me about my two dogs skin. I live in Vermont and heat with wood so I guess it could be dry skin, but my dogs are always scratching and digging at themselves. I feed them Iams dog food and some scraps and I know they don't have fleas. Any ideas to get them some relief?

Molly

[originalfatc]

Try a humidifyer or boiling a pot of water on the stove. These past few years have been so cold and dry it's incredible. It sure helps us! (We're in southern tier NY)

[mickler]

Thank you for your suggestion, I actually do have water on the stove and 3 thirty gallon fish tank the air steals from. Is something wrong with thier skin or food?

[originalfatc]

either, neither or both.

Your vet may have a suggestion about allergies or if it is their skin.

[BigDogMom]

Iams actually is not a very high quality food. Read the ingredients on the side. It should not contain by products or brewers rice, etc. You want to see things that say "rice" "chicken" "beef" not "beef by products" etc.
The meats should be among the first ingredients.
I would talk to you vet. They could have food allergeries

[RWDVM]

Dear mickler:

Your dogs are likely experiencing allergy. Allergy can come from an environmental cause, or from ingested proteins in the diet (most commonly beef or ckicken).

When I am first presented with a first time allergic dog, I first treat syptomatically. This normally consists of an omega-3-fatty acid supplement to condition the skin, Relief Shampoo, cortisone injection in severe cases, and antibiotics in cases where there is bacterial infection. Check out the skin care page of my veterinary advice and health management website for more info on Refief Shampoo and omega-3-fatty acid supplements and to purchase them for a discount.

If the dog returns for the same problem within the next one two two months, I again treat syptomatically, but then place the dog on a hypoallergenic diet to rule out food allergy. The food trial is done for 8 weeks, and the dog can be fed nothing else but the special diet. My two favorite hypoallergenic diets are Hill's Z/D Ultra or IVD. These diets are prescription and, therefore, only available through your vet. If the food trial fails, then allergy testing and subsequent desensitization therapy in the next step.

Good luck!

Roger L. Welton, DVM
Veterinarian, Webmaster http://www.askdvm.com

[mickler]

Wow, everyone is so helpful! I am so glad I found this site and hope sometime I can help one of you out. I will try some of the different things you mentioned. Thank you very much, by all means keep the suggestions coming!