Dog Dandruff: How to Cure the Itch
The article below is a guest post, which discusses dog dandruff. Both of my female Border Collies have dry skin/dandruff, and we have used supplements to try to help make their skin more healthy.
Dog Dandruff: How to Cure the Itch
Dandruff, although quite common, is an easily treatable problem for humans. The symptoms are quickly spotted, and with the aid of specialised shampoos it can take a matter of weeks to clear completely. However, with dogs, the symptoms are a little harder to detect.
Because we remain at a generally similar head height with the rest of our peers, it’s easy to spot when somebody has dandruff. Similarly, with almost every bathroom containing a mirror these days, it’s easy to self-diagnose dandruff. Unfortunately, even if dogs could check each other’s fur and utilise mirrors, they’d never be able to tell anyone that they need to get dandruff treatment.
Therefore, it’s important that you keep an eye out for any signs of dandruff – dog scratching is one of the most common symptoms.
Dog dandruff is due to the same problems as any other type of dandruff; a lack of essential oils that moisturise the skin. Without this regular nourishment, our dog’s skin will become dry and begin to flake. These flakes of dry, dead skin are what we know as dandruff.
Luckily, because the causes of dog dandruff are relatively simple, the treatment can be just as straight forward. The main oil that helps moisturise your dog’s skin is the omega 6 oil Linoleic acid (LA). You can find this in seed oils such as golden flax and starflower, which can be added to your dog’s meals with the help of brands such as Yumega. When included with every meal, you can expect to see a significant difference in the quality of your dog’s fur (and most importantly, the reduction of dandruff) in 3-6 weeks; around the same time a specialised shampoo would take for us.
Excessive scratching from your dog can lead to exceptionally inflamed skin, which will only irritate the animal more, and could cause dog hair loss. Because of this, it’s best to treat your dog as soon as you spot the symptoms. After all, you wouldn’t want your pet sitting there being irritated for hours on end with no easy way of curing the itch.
Article by Scott Clawson
