My puppy is 4.5 months old, and quite often it looks like she has dandruff in her hairs.
I looked closely, it's some kind of small particles of dry skin, and definitely not lice or fleas or anything alive.
She doesn't particularly scratch, but it's quite visible on her black coat.
I occasionnally wash her with a puppy-adapted shampoo, and I always rince her carefully.
Any idea what this can be, and how to get rid of it????
I read that regular washing also dries out their skin. I've refrained from washing my dog too often now unless he's decided to roll himself in some horse ca-ca. I find that giving them a good rub with the towel after walks in the rain / snow and sprinkle some baby talcum powder after is extremely effective in getting rid of the wet-dog smell.
What kind is it?
My puppy is young and crazy, like all puppies, and after a session of rolling and jumping in the grass/mud of the park with her friends, brushing is not always enough. I have to wash her about once a week, but don't always use shampoo, only plain warm water. I then dry her with a towel.
And the dandruff problem is not there everyday, so it's not a food allergy. Actually she probably has dry skin. Any idea how to apply moisturizer to a dog, anyone???
Some people say human conditioner is okay for dogs, but not shampoo!
(maybe some kind of conditioner (they make it for dogs too) would be good instead of a moisturizer and if you are washing her regularly)
I think the thread you were linked to should have some really good recommendations for you.
In my experience (at a dog grooming salon); the dogs that came in for weekly washes didnt seem to have any problems from being washed too frequently (it was extremely humid where we lived though so maybe that helped!), oatmeal shampoo was fantastic, for particularly itchy/sensitive skin diluted coal tar shampoo was fantastic (I've never looked for it here/have no idea if they have it) and if there were any sorts of lice or skin infections (which you've said there isnt) or if the dogs skin had folds then Malaseb seemed to be the best..
What sort of dog is she? Or what sort of coat/skin does she have??
I know that with cats you can give them fish oil to help their skin - anyone know if you can do the same for dogs or if theres anything else?
If people and cats can take fish oil dogs probably can too but I dont know.. it helped my cat's skin and fur though!
Thats rather excessive dont you think? In fact, I find washing dogs once a month enough (mine doesnt get washed unless he has rolled in ca-ca although once a month is usually the guideline for most dog owners) as dogs have a natural layer of essential oil on their coat. Washing the dog once a week strips that layer off and I suspect that it might be the cause of the dandruff. Using the once a month ideal as a guideline. In the wild, the most a dog gets is a splash in the river and the work of his own tongue. His skin isnt designed the handle the human designed soaps for pets, so definitely expect drying of the skin.
My dog is a young dog and a terrier no less. Terribly active, loves exploring and god help me, mad as a hatter once he sees his friends. They will start chasing each other and rolling on the grass full of melted snow (MUD!!!!) so I know exactly what you're talking about.
But I would seriously encourage you to lessen the number of baths and try the talcum powder approach that I've mentioned above, together with brushing in between their monthly baths as it helps to keep them clean, removing dead hair, dirt and other debris from the coat. I just usually wash the paws if mine gets his too muddy and brush off the rest.
Mmm, perhaps some food complements would be interesting... Any idea where to find that?
And I'm wondering about the talcum powder: isn't your dog shedding white powder everywhere after that? It must be terribly messy, no?
There have been concerns about the dangers of talc from some dog owners on other forums, but I had a chat with our vet and got the go-ahead.
You potentially try changing the diet of the dog, we use a salmon oil supplement, with omega 3 added to it. We add 5ml of salmon oil to our dog’s food a couple of times a week. Too much and you going to have an upset stomach. Bathing a dog dries out its skin, you could potentially could spend more time brushing the dog every day and reduce the bathing to every alternative week. If you have the time and resources the BARF diet my help as well. If in doubt and have the resources your vet should be able to guide you as well.
Good luck
I just used to buy the capsules intended for humans from the chemist (under instruction from my vet!) and cut them open and put it on Heccy's food.. I'm sure there is an easier way though because I would always get it on my hands and it was gross..
Maybe try pharmacies and health food shops for fish oil? (Unless somebody here thinks otherwise - I've never tried this on a canine - and have only researched it as far as a google search)
Otherwise.. if you dont get any specific answers on here maybe you will have to ask a vet or dog groomer or even see if someone working at a pet store knows anything..
PS. Good choice with the poodle x puppy.. always a favourite
There are special made omega3 tablets for dogs, from marine sources rather than the plant based ones like flaxseed / walnut oils, that require further conversion into EPA and DHA (the effective versions of omega-3 for mammals) and may cause indigestion in your pooch.
Was part of the reason I asked what breed she was (I'm not sure what I would have said if you'd said she was any other breed!)
I dont know if they change much between seasons (maybe not as much as horses! I always liked spring because my horse started looking like less of a bear and more like a horse again!).. but poodle coats change a lot from when they are puppies.. so yeah.. changing coat could contribute too..
I agree.. I havent owned a puppy before so I'm not sure when the vaccinations are needed - but she sounds pretty young so is maybe due for one soon? If so I'd ask the vet then..
Maybe until then try some wet food? As my vet said (when I asked her what wet food to give to my cat when he needed to lose weight) "I dont care what the brand name on the packet says, as far as I'm concerned all wet food is cr*p for nutrition.. but great for hydration and less fattening than dry food so use whatever brand you want". So I guess.. unless you have time for BARF.. just.. use whatever wet food appeals to you? Unless, of course, somebody with actual experience has better advice
There is such a merchandising around dog-related products, I'm still amazed about it. Basically, her shampoo is more expensive than mine... OK she needs a lot less than me and needs less frequent washing, but come on?! That's why I wanted to get first-handed advice about food complement
You can`t go wrong with baby shampoo.
But I would be carful washing the dog because of dandruf, it could be you make it worse because of degreasing the oily skin or even the washings did cause that.
As long he did not play in mud I would just brush the dog .