[wolfybaby]

normal or less normal? i havent really noticed this much dandruff before, but then again it is the cold season now and skin can get dry and flakey. but also, he got a new food almost a month ago [and it has grain in it....]
which would be the more probable culprit?

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Could be either or... I know because my dogs are inside all winter, the dry heat will dry their skin out. I usually give them fish oil to help. You could try doing that and see how it goes, if the dry skin keeps up, then maybe it is the food

[Mommie2One]

It could be either or both. You can tree a tea tree oil shampoo like Earthbath's Tea Tree Oil, or as the above poster mentioned you can give fish oil, the human capsules are fine, general rule is 1,000mg per 20 pounds of body weight, or you could try a grain free food.

I would caution against trying more than one thing every 3-4 weeks though as then you will not know what was the thing that helped.

Good luck!

[Jen.Uh.Fur]

I third the fish oil.

Does your dog have a history or getting flaky skin this time of year? If this is the first year that it is super bad, then I would lean more towards the food. But either way the fish oil does help a lot!

[wolfybaby]

this is actually his first winter. :] when he was a puppy he bad pretty bad dandruff. he had about 15 littermates [two litters] and their yard was pretty much all dirt. they fed him ol roy.. so it could very well be the food. unfortunately, my finances dont allow me to buy taste of the wild right now.. :\ i cant wait to get this stuff figured out! in the mean time, ill get some fish oil. and start giving him eggs again, store bought since my chickens havent been laying well.

[Mommie2One]

Make sure not to give anymore than 2 eggs per week, anymore than that can hinder the absorption of certain vitamins/minerals.

Also, Taste of the Wild is a good food, but there are others that are better than say Dog Chow, but not as expensive as Taste of the Wild. Also, look around, TOTW can vary GREATLY in price. For example, the feed store down the road for me sells it for $40 per 30 pound bag, but the feed store 20 minutes away sells it for $60 per 30 pound bag. HUGE difference in price! So look around. Also, Earthborn is a good food and cheaper than TOTW. OR if you have a Costco (or know of someone who has a card) they carry Nature's Domain that is a decent food and is 35 pounds for $30. Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul is typically reasonably priced but is a decent food.

So not sure what you're feeding right now, but there are other options that won't break the bank but are better quality than grocery store brands.

You may also want to try a shampoo from Earthbath called Tea Tree Oil shampoo. It's done wonders for my GSD who has gotten itchy this winter. I use it once a week and it works very well for him. It's a little pricey as far as shampoo goes ($13), but I've had it for a month and there's still at least 3/4 of a bottle left and I've been using it weekly for a 70 pound dog. A little bit goes a long way.

Good luck!