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My dog has oily fur, sheds, licks, and smells. What products help?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 30 lbs

my yellow lab has really oily fur and she sheds a lot. shes often licking herself and she smells. is there anything i can buy for her to help stop the oily fur and treat her symptoms by whatever is causing it?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 11th, 2018

Oily hair often indicates that there is an underlying problem that is not allowing the skin to maintain a healthy environment. This could be caused by a metabolic condition like hypothyroidism, or a nutritional deficiency. In order to narrow-down the cause of this, you will need to take her to a vet. A vet can help narrow-down the underlying problem with a standard examination and advise you on the necessary diagnostics and/or treatment.

For now, you can help to keep the coat free from oil and infection (they often have secondary infections with this disorder) by giving a bath once every three days with a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store). It's best to ensure the shampoo is worked well into her coat and is allowed to have at-least 15 minutes of contact time on the skin. Make sure to rinse and dry her well.

I hope that helps and your dog gets better soon.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Rebecca, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on August 11th, 2017
Oh my, Opal Grace is a cutie! I would suggest a tar based medicated shampoo to see if it helps. Lytar is one brand. I would still try not to bathe more than once weekly unless directed to by her vet who has examined her. Be sure that she is current on flea prevention and discuss her itchiness with her vet. If she is itchy at this young age she may be a dog that is going to be prone to allergies and its best to try to find out why early. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Why does my dog smell and have oily, itchy skin despite baths?

It sounds like she has a lot of seborrhea which is oil. This could be due to an infection like yeast or bacteria on her skin but it could also be due to allergies. I like dechra's dermabenss shampoo. It really cuts the oil and has a pleasant smell. Be sure to leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. I would bathe her at least twice a week. If there are any crusts, ulcerations, black "elephant" skin then she will likely need to see your vet in order to be completely resolved as there is likely an infection involved as well. I would also start her a Benadryl regimen twice a day. See link below. I hope this helps. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#!

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Why is my dog's skin dry, oily, itchy, and smelly after a bath?

I would advise trying an oatmeal bath to calm his skin, or perhaps a soothing gentle baby shampoo. Then try not to bathe him very frequently. Baths generally should be done infrequently as they remove the natural oils In a dogs skin which keep it healthy. Here are a few more tips for healthy skin and coats: Healthy premium dog food Fish oil supplements Infrequent bathing Flea prevention Here are some excellent resources to help as well; https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-ways-to-improve-your-dog-s-skin-coat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-prevent-itching-in-pets/ If Bocephus is very itchy you may try some Benadryl as some pet owners find this helpful. Here is a link in using Benadryl for allergic reactions; https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-human-medications-that-are-sometimes-safe-for-sick-pets/

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How to help my dog with dry, itchy skin, chewing, and bad odor?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach. Regular lotion is not the best idea because of added chemicals and other products that can harm the skin or dry it out. I recommend using a shampoo such as Douxo PS calm shampoo to help strengthen the skin and prevent dandruff. I also recommend using essential 6 spot on by dermoscent and welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules. I would bathe with the shampoo twice weekly. All of these can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

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My dog's chronic smelly, oily skin returns. What are my options?

A few things to consider. She should be tested for hypothyroidism to make sure she doesn't have a thyroid condition. She probably needs to be on some type of allergy medication long term to control any allergies that are contributing to her skin condition. Your vet could try an antihistamine, like hydroxyzine, and see if that helps. There is also a new medication called Apoquel which seems to work very well. She should also stay on the antibiotics for at least 3-4 weeks before stopping. Adding Free Form Snip Tips may also help keep her skin healthy. You could also try a hypoallergenic diet like z/d for 8 weeks and see if that helps. Lastly, you could take her to a veterinary dermatologist if your vet can't get her condition under control.

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How to keep my dog's fur shiny and prevent oiliness and shedding?

I would advise trying a supplement long term and also a healthy coat dog food. The supplement I recommend is fish oil tablets formulated for dogs. These can be purchased form your vet, in pet stores or online. This may some counterintuitive, but less frequency bathing is also recommended. Natural oils produced by dogs are washed away with baths.

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My dog has dry dandruff, greasy coat, and scabs. What should I do?

The skin is unhealthy for some reason. This is usually caused by some irritation of the skin. The skin is most commonly irritated from allergies, fleas, mites, or inappropriate bathing. The irritation can then cause the skin to get infected with yeast and bacteria. The best thing you can do now is give a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (you can find this at the pet store). Follow the shampoo with an oatmeal or aloe conditioner labeled for dogs. Repeat the bath every other day for two weeks. If that's helping, then repeat the bath every week for a month. If all is good after that, then she should be OK to have a once monthly bath with normal dog shampoo. If the bath is not helping, or she's getting worse, then she needs to go to the vet. The vet will be able to determine if something else is wrong and if further treatment is needed.

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My dog has dry, itchy skin, hair loss, and a foul smell. What's wrong?

These symptoms can be from a yeast infection of the skin. I suggest you try to use this medicated shampoo on her. Lather the shampoo, let it sit on her for 10 minutes and then rinse. In between baths you can use this medicated mousse. I recommend you bathe her twice a week. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6692-douxo-chlorhexidine-shampoo-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx?SearchTerm=chlorhex+Auto ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6673-douxo-chlorhexidine-climbazole-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx )

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