Doggy Dry Skin

[Bobbe]

I just brought a rescued chi-pom, and the lady who had him says she had a wood stove in her house with very dry
heat.  This little 4month old dog is going crazy with itchy skin (no fleas, I checked).  He has dandruff and is scratching
constantly.  Any suggestions?

[Ghilly]

He could still have a flea bite dermatitis and not be crawling with fleas.  If they are very sensitive, and some of them are, all it takes is one flea to send them into a vicious itch/scratch cycle that will leave them covered with scabs and missing all kinds of hair.  I have a cat like this, poor thing.  All it takes is one flea and unless I get the FrontLine TopSpot right on him, he will scratch himself raw and his hair looks like he has fried it off with bad hair products.

This is not to say that it can't be just as the lady said, dryness from a woodburning stove, however it's unlikely that this much damage would have happened in such a young puppy.  If you want to try some shampoos, there is one that is available from your vet called Ly-Tar, and it's excellent for dry, itchy skin.  

Ghilly

[Red931]

They have several different shampoo's for this at your local pet store. If it is very severe. your Vet can prescribe a shampoo that is stronger.

You want to give him a bath soon or he will scratch to the point of an infection.

I use a brand called Malaseb for my bullies and it works great. They have skin problems all year long. If you choose to use this brand make sure your dog doesn't get any water in his mouth while bathing him. It will give him a stomachache.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck.