How can I help my dog who scratches himself due to dry skin?

He is a 6 month old scottish terrier. I thought it was fleas but I%26#039;ve bathed him with anti-flea shampoo. My neighbor said it was dry skin and that I should add honey to his food. Any ideas? THANKS!|||Honey will not do anything for your dog.





First and foremost, check your dog from head to toe for fleas. Whether you see fleas or not, you should get your dog on a flea/tick preventative treatment regimen. Flea collars do not work. Purchase brands such as Frontline Plus or K9 Advantix (based on the dog%26#039;s weight and age) to get rid of and prevent fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. They can be expensive at the vet%26#039;s office, but luckily pet owners do not need a prescription for these anymore. You can purchase them at Petsmart or Petco and even online. Look around and you can save some money.





If your dog continues to itch even after the flea treatment...look for signs such as nibbling on their paws, scratching ears or other areas of the body until they bleed, and a rash. If you see signs of any of the above, you%26#039;re dog might have allergies. They can have food or environmental allergies. You will need to see your vet in this case. Your vet can prescribe medicines to bring relief to your dog and prescribe foods that are made for dogs with allergies.





Purchase a dog shampoo with oatmeal in it. Oatmeal soothes the skin and helps relieve itching.





I have a dog with skin problems and I bathe her frequently and find that she feels better when she is clean of any dander.








Generally dogs like to scratch, but if you find that your dog spends most of it%26#039;s time scratching and they scratch a lot at night when it%26#039;s time to go to sleep, I would check in with your vet for futher assitance.





Good Luck!|||You%26#039;re welcome. Let me know if you need anymore information. Report Abuse
|||also add oil to food|||Rub tea tree oil into their skin with a tiny bit of olive oil...make sure your dog gets vitamin E and add some egg to his dog food.|||He should really be seen by a Vet. My Golden Retreiver suffered from the same ailment. We thought it was just dry skin; turns out he has hyperthyroidism and needs to be on medicine the rest of his life. One should really not try to self-diagnose problems with pets. Just like people, there can be a number of things causing a problem and only a trained professional should make the diagnosis. Hope your baby gets better soon!|||I think he has alopecia.My dog had it, and started scratching his sides on the bush. Alopecia causes hair loss and itchiness. Take him to a vet, if you tell them my suscpicions, then they may be able to use a special shampoo. Please try it. (Youre dog will look very funny if he has alopecia. There will be hair loss on both sides of his body. I know they can get alopecia from too much sun. It helps to leave a wooden dog house out side for them to hide in. Fill it with hey to klepp it dry and comfy.|||Have your vet check him over.|||Get a soap free shampoo (yes, such a thing exists) from a pet store. I used this oatmeal shampoo on my Lhasa apso who had tonnes of skin problems and it worked great. I can%26#039;t remember the name of it now though, sorry.|||After you bathe him. Add one capfull of Skin-So-Soft to a bucket of clean water and sponge it onto him. It helps his skin and also repells fleas and ticks. It works great.|||my mother used a supplement called linatone (i think) a squirt on their food and they had the most gorgeous (itch free) coats you%26#039;d ever want to see.|||suppliment his food with the 3 omegas|||If your dog does have dry skin, it needs to be treated from the outside AND the inside. Consider using a dog shampoo especially for dry skin like Earthbath hypo-allergenic shampoo and their conditioner and rinse with colloidal oatmeal. They also have a wonderful product called Earthbath Hot Spot Spray with tea tree oil.


To work on his problem from the inside, we give our dogs Alaskan salmon oil. Its the same thing the dog sledders give their pooches to keep the fur thick and glossy. Pour a tablespoon over his regular food, once a day until the problem goes away.... then a couple of times per week for maintenance. I would recommend a visit to the vet for the proper diagnosis.....|||Take him to the vet. It could be a bacterial infection of the skin. If it is just dry skin pick up some 3-V caps from your vet. That will help.|||go to a vet|||try a moisturizing pet shampoo|||we had a dog like that and the vet told us to put a little oil on his coat and rub it in|||Try dog food with rice. I had a Dalmatian and they have sensitive skin. Rice worked for me and my dog. Good Luck!|||I have a 6 months old Pit/Shepherd mix that had the same thing going on. Try Sulfadene....its a special shampoo that you can get at almost any pet store. It worked GREAT for mine. GOOD LUCK!