Conditioning Your Dog’s Skin From the Inside Out
Dry flaky skin is just that – dry and flaky. When cells lack moisture they shrivel and shrink, peeling away from the layers beneath and sloughing off as dandruff or skin flakes. The opposite case is plump, well-hydrated skin cells that stick together better.
Adding a little extra virgin olive oil to your dogs food will nourish the epidermal cells at the deepest level. As those baby cells mature and travel to the surface, they take their plump healthy condition with them, making the skin barrier more resilient as a result.
Around one teaspoon of olive oil for a 30 to 40 lb dog, mixed in food once a day should do the trick. But dont expect instant results. You have to wait for the rejuvenated cells to mature and reach the skins surface before you see a difference. So be prepared to wait 3 to 4 weeks for that new glossy coat to shine through
Applying olive oil to the skin can also be beneficial; just dont be heavy-handed! Too much olive oil makes the skin greasy and could provide a breeding ground for yeast and bacteria.
Instead, add around 5 drops of olive oil to a cup of water and work this into your dogs skin and coat. You can do this on a daily basis and if the coat gets a little sticky, blot the excess oil away with paper towel.
A word of caution. Vets advise against applying olive oil directly to broken skin. Olive oil has natural anti-inflammatory properties which could delay the healing of wounds and sores.
The Most Common Causes of Dry Skin in Dogs
Many dogs experience dry or flaky skin throughout their life, and it’s especially common in the winter when the humidity drops. But it’s important to remember that not all dry skin is caused by a drop in humidity.
Before trying something new for your dog’s dry skin it’s important to figure out what’s causing it to begin with. For example, if your dog has food allergies adding a little bit of olive oil to their diet won’t solve the underlying problem and your dog is still gonna have itchy skin.
Figuring out what’s causing your dogs dry skin is the first step, and a trip to the vet is recommended because finding the underlying problem isn’t always simple. There’s a long list of potential medical issues that can cause your dog’s skin to become dry. It’s best to have your veterinarian examine your dog and to help rule out any medical problems.
Your vet can take a sample of your dogs skin to diagnose or rule out many different skin conditions. The most common causes for a dogs dry skin are:
Luckily for my dog it wasn’t a food allergy or an infection; our vet thinks it’s related to the low humidity of winter. Just like us our dogs can get dry, flaky skin during winter. Remember that itchy skin is a symptom, not a disease.
Supplement Your Dog With Olive Oil
There are many reasons a dog develops dry skin. Sometimes its due to an underlying illness; other times it may be due to the seasonal climate. It can even be caused by a dietary deficiency. Dry skin isnt difficult to spot; it tends to look pale and a little parched or flaky. In comparison, healthy skin glistens slightly, and there are no flakes of skin on the scalp or in the fur. Olive oil offers a safe, natural solution for dry skin. If youre concerned about whether olive oil is toxic to dogs, you are perfectly safe feeding it to your dog unless your dog is allergic to it. Related Articles
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All dogs scratch themselves once in a while, but excessive clawing can be cause for concern. If your dog starts scratching more than occasionally, the root of the problem (which should be determined by your vet) is likely one of three things: the environment (low humidity, dry indoor heat in the winter), allergies (to food or pollen), or parasites (fleas, ticks or, less commonly, mites). Unfortunately, figuring out whatâs causing scratching can take time, but there are some at-home remedies â olive oil, coconut oil, and fish oil â that may provide some relief by helping to moisturize your dogâs dry, dandruffy skin.
Both olive and coconut oil are rich in the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) dogs need to maintain oil production, skin hydration, and much more. The body needs EFAs to function but canât manufacture them, which is why they must be obtained from food. Luckily, dogs tend to love the taste of oil, so adding it to their meals is an easy way to get it into their systems. It wonât be a cure-all or magic fix, but it can contribute to an improvement in your dogâs overall health â not to mention shinier fur and fewer marathon scratching sessions. Hereâs how to ease the itch by adding oils to your dogâs diet.