My girl has the worst dandruff ever! :(
 

My yorkie who is about 10 years old has really, really bad thick dandruff that is making her very itchy...and kind of stinky! I went and bought oatmeal shampoo but that didn't seem to help.. And I don't want to over wash her if it will make it worse.

I'm tempted to get some coconut oil to rub into her skin and then wash it off but I just wanted to get some other advice too! Has anyone had this problem, if so, what helped get rid of it?

I've heard of using fish oil but don't know what kind to get...? And how often should I be bathing her? Twice a week?

Thank you! I'm trying to go with the natural approach before getting who knows what from the vet. Obviously I will though if it comes to it :)

I give my two Krill oil which seems to help with their dry skin. Below is where I got it from.

toplinepet.com

When I get too lazy to bathe them or just want a quick in-between bath cleaning, I use waterless shampoo.

Espree

I just saw a dry skin/coat kit but seems to be sold out.... The owner of that store is also a member here who has 4 furbutts of her own. If you have any questions, feel free to ask her. Her ID: mimimomo

Have you spoken with a vet about her dry itchy skin? If it's allergies, allergy med might be needed.

Okay thank you! I'll definitely try that. I haven't taken her yet, I was trying to conqour it before the vet but if it doesn't work, I'll take her to see someone.

I don't think it's allergies, it's been going on for some time now so a vet visit might have to happen. Thanks again!

Well.. could be so many things for allergies to happen though. Any change to her food, her shampoo, etc? Cleaning supplies for home like laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, etc.. Do you wipe her down after every walk? Not just her paws but her whole body. Does she lick her paws?

Below is a link to a post by someone else with similar issue. Maybe you can get more info there? Someone said add little coconut oil in their food...

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...y-so-much.html

My little guy Ralphie had some really bad dandruff when I got him, I use Biogroom shampoo and conditioner and eventually got rid of it, but it took some time. Some baths were conditioner only. I think it's really important to rinse really well after you shampoo and always use a conditioner because it conditions the skin as well as the hair. Use shampoos especially made for dogs, but I've heard some say here, that you can use a human conditioner. I personally wouldn't shampoo more than once a week. What bothers me about your case is that you say there is an odor to it and this makes me think it could be a yeast infection or something serious, so many a vet visit would be in order.


Lately, I've been reading that oatmeal can be irritating to some dogs, so I don't think I would use it and don't use human baby shampoo, it's really strong because it's meant to fight cradle cap. Here's some good information on fish oils and dosage. Fish Oil: The Dangers of Too Much | petMD

I'm not sure if available by you, but I really like the Douxo Calm shampoo for itchy/dry dogs. I got it on amazon.

I've always bathed my yorkies with coat handlers every week and never had dry skin from it.Its either the shampoo or diet.?? But the main thing is to rinse. When you think your done rinsing..Rinse some more.

I would not use an oatmeal shampoo on a dog w/ irritated skin -- oatmeal can actually worsen the irritation, despite the myth that it can help.

The fish oil I like is called Ark Naturals Royal Coat - it's nice bc it already has the needed Vit E in it, to process the fish oils.

IF she really is that stinky, then I'd be worrying that she has a yeast/fungal infection going on or something.

I agree w/ Cathy -- get a shampoo from the Duoxo line - on Amazon. Vet Derms sell this shampoo at about 4x the price...

I would would also try the natural approach; though it may take some time to figure out what works, but I think it's worth it. I'm not pro, but I think vets would just prescribe meds, expensive and harsh on their bodies.

Anyway, this was my experience with dandruff and dry skin...

My puppy between 5 months to about 8 months had really bad dandruff and was constantly scratching himself. It was pretty gross. We switched his food 3 times before settling on Acana Singles Duck (& Singles Lamb); the Singles chicken made him VERY teary so I think he's allergic to chicken. I believe food contributes to skin condition, so that's what mine eats now. And he occasionally gets Orijen Freeze Dried Regionals as treats or when he gets upset stomach.

Scottie is now 1 yr old and all dandruff is GONE :D I've been feeding him organic unrefined coconut oil nightly, starting off with very small amounts. He loves it so I use it as a "go-to-your-crate"-because-it's-bedtime treat.

I didn't try fish oil because he was allergic to Fromm salmon and tuna. I never tried applying the coconut oil directly onto the skin because he has really long hair. But initially I tried bathing him with ground down oatmeal flour (I used a food processor), hoping it would sooth his skin. I did that for a month, bathing him about every 2 to 3 weeks. It was messy and kind of difficult to wash out, but I did it anyway. If you try this, make sure to use a sieve to get rid of the larger chunks so you don't plug your bathtub.

As for shampoo, I use Earthbath Aloe and Oatmeal natural shampoo and haven't changed it since the very beginning. It's got high reviews on Amazon so I decided to stick with it.

All in all, I believe that getting Scottie to eat the coconut oil was what helped him with the dandruff. His hair is also very soft and shiny too :)