Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 11/21/2005

Question
My dog Laddie will periodically violently bite and chew on his haunches and extremities he seemingly has very flakey skin (there are No fleas or evidence of them) We would like to Know how We might treat this ...........His coat is very dry also.......Laddie is a 7 year old Shetland Sheepdog,please respond....Dave Hopper  

Answer
Laddie probably has some type of allergic skin disease.  If the skin is also dry, then it would not hurt to add some Omega3 fatty acids to his diet to help reduce the itching and to put the essential oils back into the skin.  It may take 30-60 days to work.  Check with your vet about the treatment for allergic skin and about the Omega3 fatty acids they recommend.