Expert: Silva Mirovics - 12/1/2007

Question
Kelly is a 5 year old German sheared. She is a beautiful dog but has some sort of skin ailment. It looks like dandruff and covers the majority of he body. I first thought it was walking dandruff but the symptoms don't match. Besides her skin problem she is a healthy and happy dog. What could this be and what can I do to help her?

Many Thanks
Nadia

Answer
Hi Nadia,
The best way to treat skin conditions is to improve the diet.  If Kelly is not already on a natural diet, then you may want to look at implementing one slowly.  Raw fruits, veggies and meats will often help to clear up skin problems.  You should also try adding FlaxSeed Oil to daily meals (1-2 tablespoons).  There are many other all natural supplements out there to treat skin problems in dogs.  These are usually in powder form and are easily added to food.  Another good product is adding plant-based digestive enzymes to daily meals.  These will reduce flakes, scratching and make the coat darker and glossier.  Follow manufacturers instructions, and start Kelly off on a "children's dose", working up to half an adult dose.
Results will not be instant with any remedy, but with continued use, over the months you will notice a great improvement.  
Using a Neem based shampoo will help keep skin healthy as well.
Skin problems can arise from many things:  inter-breeding, over-vaccinations, poor diet, sluggish immune system, sluggish elimination system or stress.
I hope this was helpful.
Silva.
www.roxysworld.com.au