 The Short Answer is:
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There are five things you can add to dog food for dry skin: Olive Oil Coconut Oil Apple Cider Vinegar Yogurt and Liquid Fish Oil. |
In this research you will know the answer to the query “What To Add To Dog Food For Dry Skin?“.
So you’ve noticed that Rover is scratching a bit more than usual lately. He’s scratching so much that you’re beginning to feel a bit itchy too just in sympathy.
Before you leap to the conclusion that your pet has a flea infestation consider the possibility that the problem may be something about your dog and not the company he keeps.
It is just as uncomfortable for humans as it is for dogs to have dry skin. Unfortunately your pet can not tell you whats wrong. There are signs that can go well beyond obvious scratching so pay attention to them.
What can you add to their food so that the skin would not get dry
Five things to add to dog food for dry skin
Lets take a look at the five ingredients that you should add to your dogs food.
Its easy to get these “add-ons” and they’re reasonably priced easy to use and convenient.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the most common types. The antioxidant properties of olive oil especially vitamin E make it an ideal addition to your pets diet. If the dog weighs around 30 to 40 pounds add about a teaspoon and if it weighs around 90 pounds add about a tablespoon.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another ingredient that is often used to enhance skin conditions but should be used with caution. You should gradually increase the amount to the level your veterinarian recommends.
Apple Cider Vinegar
For dry skin on your pet you can use both internally and externally. Apple cider vinegar acts as an acidifier and may increase blood flow to the skin when taken as a dietary supplement.
When applied to the skin it can inhibit the growth of harmful organisms that may cause the condition.
Yogurt
In addition to its moisturizing properties yogurt is an oral moisturizer that can help “good” bacteria colonize the skin thereby reducing skin dryness and inflammation caused by other organisms.
For small dogs give a teaspoon a day for larger pets up to a tablespoon.
Liquid Fish Oil
It is also possible to add liquid fish oil to your dogs food as this is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are so important to health.
Thats all there is to it.
You can add these five quick fixes to food to help fix dry skin.
However did you know there is a better way to add something to dog food?
Changing your dogs diet completely will ensure that they are eating the best balance of food there is.
Four ingredients in a healthy diet
Well as you might have guessed the diet is the key to the solution.
Taking your dogs food with a simple remedy is much easier than applying moisturizer to his skin through his thick fur.
What precisely is recommended to achieve such a cure? Using Pet Helpful you can determine what type of diet your pet needs to address dry skin and maintain a healthy balance.
Your dogs health depends not just on his skin and coat but on every aspect of his life.
The ideal diet for such animals should consist of about 50% fresh meat and bone.
There should also be about 30% soft meat although this amount may be reduced if the amount of fresh meat on the bone is greater than the amount of bone.
Also you should give your pet 10% organ meat such as kidneys liver lungs and spleens.
Adding 10% veggies is the next step. It may be necessary to process vegetables into a fine consistency and add them to meats as some dogs do not like vegetables or cannot digest them properly.
It is not desirable for pet food manufacturers to add potatoes or other starchy vegetables to the mix to reduce costs.
Additionally you can provide your pet with raw eggs several times a week complete with shells. If its available try eating fish once a week or so.
Mackerel and sardines which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are the best choices.
Finally you can add a bit of fruit depending on the season. When you add fruit to a veggie and egg entrée your pet will be much more likely to eat it.
It will also make the whole thing more palatable for your pet if it gets a little blood from the meat products.
If you are unable to change your pets menu frequently there are commercially available products designed to improve the health of your pets skin.
There are many highly recommended products on K9 of Mines website and there are countless others as well.
Be sure to read the ingredient list to ensure that it complies with your pets dietary requirements for healthy skin.
Now that you have examined your dogs diet it is time to move on to discussing the possible symptoms of dry skin.
I just want to make sure that dry skin is the real problem here…
Four symptoms of dry skin in dogs are:
Flaking
The symptom may be as minor as a few small flakes to a persistent and widespread dandruff-like condition all the way up to scaling in which dead skin cells are displaced from the skin in large scales.
As you pet and groom your pet you may notice some flaking but the condition can progress to the point where the poor thing leaves a trail of white flakes behind him. Particularly noticeable will be areas where he rests or sleeps.
Pimples
You may notice that your pet develops small red bumps all over his body. Your pet will likely scratch at these pimples vigorously causing bleeding and scabbing if he scratches too hard. You should know that if such pimples only appear on the chin the issue is probably not dry skin but a condition known as canine acne in which hair follicles become inflamed and rupture.
Treatment involves washing with a mild soap preferably one containing salicylic acid and applying benzoyl peroxide.
Redness
Dry skin may become inflamed leaving it susceptible to infection resulting in redness.
Odor
There may be an unpleasant odor associated with dry skin which is usually a sign of infection.
Excessive scratching of the skin is a reliable sign of dry skin even in the absence of any other symptoms.
It is important to determine whether dry skin is merely a harbinger of an underlying health problem or a standalone condition.
Four causes of dry skin
- Similar to humans who may develop allergies to common items found in their environment so can their canine companions.
There are many possible items that can cause allergies including grass pollen and dust.
A flea allergy is the most common cause of canine dermatitis an inflammation of the skin.
- The skin can become dry and irritated when parasites such as Demodex mites or canine scabies infest it.
- Dogs can suffer from a variety of skin conditions caused by bacterial and fungal infections.
- The skin may also be irritated by conditions such as hypothyroidism or Cushings disease.
If your pet seems to be suffering from any of the above medical conditions it would be wise to take him to the vet. You can treat a simple case of dry skin in many ways but none of them will work unless underlying problems are addressed first.
How can you alleviate Rovers severe case of dry skin once you have determined with the help of your veterinarian that he simply suffers from a severe case of dry skin?
There are certainly other homeopathic remedies that can be added to your pets diet in addition to the options we have discussed. For example oatmeal can be used in various ways.
Two ways to use oatmeal for dry skin
Shampoo with oatmeal
In addition to dry skin over-bathing can drastically reduce the number of healthy oils in the skin and coat so choose a shampoo with oatmeal next time.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties oatmeal can soothe your dogs skin rather than cause it to become dry and stripped of oils.
Oatmeal powder
Bathing with oatmeal isnot the only way to benefit from it. Put regular oatmeal into a blender and process it until it forms a powder.
Its a good idea to warm the powder a bit to release its essential oils and then massage it into particularly irritated spots on your pets skin to provide relief.
Before brushing it off allow it to sit on the skin for about 20 minutes. You can repeat this process every day if necessary.
Conclusion
You can imagine what your pet is going through if you have ever experienced the itch of an angry rash or the discomfort of dry cracked skin. It is possible to help him by alleviating the problem with just a little effort.
Get him healthy balanced and high-quality dog food by doing your research.
To help relieve his discomfort add a little something extra to his daily dinner. Brush him every day to increase his skins oil production.
An itchy dog is certainly not a happy dog and he will certainly attempt to make his owner share his misery.
You should consult your veterinarian before beginning a program of treatment if there is any question that an underlying condition exists.
Having fleas in your home will affect you too and I am sure your pet does not want to share its ringworm with you.
If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.
