For many pet owners, getting rid of dog dry skin often involves trying one treatment after another that merely results in a temporary fix. This can be quite frustrating, not to mention costly; but the real victim is always the canine companion that has no choice but to endure one hack cure after another.
My Dog Has Dry Skin What Can I Do?
While your dog probably appreciates the attention towards the issue, it is probably safe to say there would be even more appreciation if pet owners threw away the shampoos and supplements and instead took a good close look at what their dog has been eating lately.
The largest organ of the body, for dogs and humans alike, is the skin. One of its main functions is to help secrete wastes out of the body. This is rather helpful until a diet happens to be poor in nutrients and filled with things that are harmful going in and harmful going out. What is interesting is that the vast majority of dogs subsist on commercial dog food diets and a dog with dry skin is one of the biggest complaints when it comes to canine health issues. This brings into question as to whether commercial dog foods are as wholesome as they like to claim.
In her article, ‘Safe Pet Foods and Truthful Labels: Are They Possible?’ Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM, Esq. states that ‘…legislative loopholes that have existed for decades in the United States have allowed unsafe, even toxic foods to be freely marketed to pet owners all over the world.’
An improper balance of nutrients not to mention additives, preservatives, molds and other toxins commonly found in commercial formulas is bound to result in dog dry skin. Plus, when the skin is covered by fur, additional health issues such as infections, rashes and hair loss tend to enter the picture. Merely treating a dog with dry skin can only stop the symptoms temporarily while the underlying problems re-surface quickly.
Home Remedies for Dog Dry Skin
Until a dog gets the proper nutrients on consistent basis, he or she will continue to suffer and a dog owner will continue to take hits in the pocketbook. It is in the best interest of both parties to make the switch to a clean natural diet of fresh raw food as soon as possible. No dog dry skin treatment can work until the undelying diet is optimal and then, in the case of fresh raw food the problem of dog allergies simply evaporates very quickly.
Best Dog Food for Dry Skin
Watch the short video below and discover more about dog skin allergies and diet.
Rather than applying topical ointments or shampoos that introduce even more chemicals to a dog’s skin, a raw food diet works to heal the skin from the inside out. This is not only because raw meat and bone is devoid of additives and preservatives, but because it provides live enzymes, phytochemicals, antioxidants, flavinoids, vitamins, minerals, natural calcium, phosphorus and a full range of over 35 proteins.
It is only common sense that a permanent and natural solution to dog dry skin would be as simple as going back to the diet Mother Nature originally developed the canine species on over 15 million years. With every nutrient in a diet of meat and bone in it’s natural uncooked state being efficiently utilized, the ill effects of a toxic commercial diet can be reversed within weeks. The skin becomes nourished, healthy and whole and dry skin problems simply vanish without a trace.
About Dan
I have a 4.5 lb 2 yr old Biewer Terrier (like Yorkie) and have had intestional issues from the beginning – starting with giardia and progressing to colitis. She was put on a raw meat diet but I was afaid to give her bones. Why type of raw meat diet with bones can you give a very small dog?
Hi Cindy
Remember your fear is not your dogs. Trust her to be a dog!
Her immune system is compromised leading to the conditions you state. Feed her chicken wings, necks and small pieces of back, some pork belly, lamb breast, oily fish etc. If you can get raw green tripe, maybe frozen from suppliers on the net in small blocks and feed small amounts. If she has an appetite, just let her feed until she’s full twice a day. The tripe is a good balanced food that will help with her conditions.
It’s important to have some bone in the diet for balance and teeth cleaning to avoid gum disease which leads to internal problems. Have her teeth checked and cleaned thoroughly before starting diet change, no supplements, no more shots (unless required by law) and her immune system will bounce back.
She can deal with small portions of any meat&bone just as well as any large hound, just feed with confidence. let me know how you get on.
I have a 2 year old lab mutt. He has had dandruff since I got him. He used to have bad allergies but they’ve gotten better. I feed him wellness limited ingredient lamb and sweet potato and give him marrow bones/antlers as treats. His skin is still quite flaky. What would you suggest?
Hi Dean,
Ok first off, the allergies/dandruff are all diet related. It’s the combination of lack of nourishment and additivs in the commercial dog food that is the cause.
My advice is drop the brand dog food (no matter the marketing on the label, it’s bad nutrition-period) and get the “Gold Standard” of canine nutrition up and running – Raw dog food.
You can make friends with your local butcher or other meat supplier for their cheap stuff (chicken) and free scraps, build a selection of 4/5 choices and start from there. Find raw green tripe for order over the net (frozen box delivery) awesome stuff for dogs with some veg matter in it too, has you covered.
Do this and the allergies will be gone in a matter of weeks as the subaceous gland in the skin is getting the nutrition it needs.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
Ive heard that human grade raw meat has been leeched of a lot of nutrition compared to a fresh organic kill?
Ive also heard that red meat can onset skin irritations?
I feed my dog holistic which is supposed to be
preservative free….what are your thoughts on that?
Hi Keisha, yes it has. Some red meat like beef for example can cause allergy in a small percentage of dogs. The preservative free holistic? you mention would be better than kibble and probably one of the best canned foods when considering preservative free additives, so that’s good.
However nothing beats a raw food diet for dogs simply because it’s their biologically appropriate food source with by far the greatest health benefits.