My dog has dry skin and dander. Is fish oil the best supplement?

I would recommend an oral fatty acid supplement to help keep the skin healthy. Welactin is one we commonly use, though your vet can also recommend a product or your local pet store may also carry fatty acid supplements.

Hmmm. Not sure the train of thought your vet was on. I commonly recommend fish oils, any fish oil supplement will work. There is no specific amount, though the biggest side effect is greasy stools. If you notice that, then you decrease the dose. It can take several months for you to see a change after starting fish oils. You can find a pet product at a pet store, or just use one from the human supplements section of a pharmacy or other store.

You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. There is a product called Welactin that tends to work well. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Jameson wear an elizabethan collar at all times if he wants to lick the area. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to skin allergies mostly due to the fact that it started after moving. Adding fish oil can be considered regardless to help with the dry skin. You can use the commercial kind for dogs. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello. The problem with using oils on the coat is the residual greasiness. If you want to use something, use a leave-in conditioner made for dogs, either post bathing, or one of the mousse rub in ones. The best way to get oils into the coat is to feed Arjun omega 3 fatty acids, so a good fish oil supplement daily. I would administer 1 000-1200 mg capsule twice daily & in a couple of weeks, his coat should start looking a little better. The longer you give it, the better it will work. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Adding fish oil to Cooper's diet can help with his skin. You can give it to him in the form of pill supplements. For every 30 pounds of body weight, give him 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/ DHA combined. There are dog fish oil supplements, but it's fine to use human fish oil supplements, just make sure that you give her the recommended dose above. Finally, you can give him a bath with vitamin E oil to help his skin. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Dry skin will not usually cause bumps and scabs. These are more likely due to fleas or mites or, more commonly, allergies. Make sure your dog is on an appropriate flea/tick preventative such as Advantix. You should speak to your veterinarian about possible treatment options for atopy (environmental allergies) including anti-histamines, steroids or newer medications such as Apoquel. Bathing your dog every other week with an oatmeal shampoo may also help alleviate the itching. Fish oils are great for dry skin and also have anti-inflammatory properties.