There are a number of home remedies available to treat dry skin on dogs.
Dry skin is a minor medical condition that can affect both humans and dogs. Causes for dry skin in dogs include fleas, changing weather conditions, allergies, infection or poor nutrition. If your dog has dry skin, you may find it constantly scratching, licking or gnawing at its fur. Your dog's behavior may worsen if the dry skin goes untreated. You can try a number of home treatments to prevent and counter the effects of dry skin in dogs.
Good Grooming
Just like their human owners, dogs need good skin care to prevent itching and flaking. You can prevent occurrences of dry skin by keeping your dog's coat clean. However, this does not mean that you should bathe your dog every day. Frequent bathing can deplete from a dog's skin and result in dry skin. Rather, brush your dog's hair often to remove dead hair and "doggy dandruff." A quick daily brushing is an extremely effective means of preventing dry skin in dogs.
Olive Oil and Fish Oil
Olive oil is a product common to many household kitchens. Although people commonly use olive oil for cooking, it can also help dogs with itching, flaky or dry skin. To clear up dry skin, VetInfo recommends adding a tablespoon of olive oil to your dog's food two or three times per week. Fish oil is an excellent treatment for infections resulting from dry skin and also helps to reduce itching. Fish oil hydrates skin and promotes the development of healthy oils. To treat dry skin infections, apply fish oil in liquid form to the affected areas of your dog's skin. Brush fish oil through your dog's coat to minimize itching.
Herbal Remedies
Vitamin E and tea tree oil are over-the-counter herbal remedies available in most health food stores and apothecaries. These herbal treatments are full of moisturizing and soothing properties that help prevent skin from getting too dry. You can apply Vitamin E directly to your dog's skin. You can also disguise a Vitamin E gelcap inside a dog treat or piece of cheese and administer it to your dog orally. Tea tree oil is a moisturizer and antiseptic agent and cleans allergens off the skin. You can brush tea tree oil into your dog's coat or spray it on affected areas to prevent itching. Tea tree oil requires daily re-application to effectively soothe itching.
Oatmeal Bath
A mixture of oatmeal and water can also relieve dry skin and soothe itchiness. Simply mix a packet of plain oatmeal oatmeal with two cups of lukewarm water and rub it onto the areas of dry skin to relieve dry, itchy spots. Your dog may not like it, but you should leave the mixture on for at least 10 minutes. Use warm water to rinse your dog's coat thoroughly and remove all oatmeal remnants. Follow the oatmeal bath with a good brushing.
Balanced Diet
The condition of a dog's skin is usually reflective of its lifestyle and eating habits. Skin problems can result from food or vitamin deficiencies. Feeding your dog quality foods rich in vitamins is one of the easiest home remedies for dry skin. Monitor what your dog eats and make sure it gets enough water to stay hydrated. VetInfo recommends supplementing your dog's diet with fresh vegetables, fruit or plain, white chicken meat. Increased overall health contributes greatly to treating a dog's dry skin.
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