My dog has a little patch of dry skin on her back/around her side. What can I do to help her? I feel so bad when I see her scratch and I dont know what to do. It hasnt been there for long, a few days. I looked this up on the internet and of course every site said something different..and some said some weird things...one site said to give her a bath with this speical shampoo..one site said not to wash her it will irretate it..one site said to buy pills for around $150 and it will go away. Any ideas from anyone that has had this problem or knows how to deal with it?

Me and Lokie thank you in advance!

PS. if it will help you any, shes a large american pitbull terrior. Not sure if you needed this info, but you never know!

You want something that moisturises but won't hurt, and which doesn't have anything toxic in it because she'll probably lick it. I'd try aloe vera. I'm not a vet though, might be best to give one a call.

You could try aloe. My vet has said that it's fine to use it on animals. I probably wouldn't bathe her until you find out what it is and get it taken care of. I know my friends step-dad's cat had gotten a dry patch of skin, and over time got more, and it ended up being an allergic reaction to chemicals from nearby factories. (He'd moved there from another state) Anyway, so if there's been any change of location, household products, shampoos, etc... that might be something to consider. If I were you I'd give your vet a call though and see what they reccomend and if they want you to take her in to get checked out.

thanks for the advice :D. there has been no change that i can think of we called the vet and told her about the aloe and she said if it doesnt clear up to call back
thanks again
chelsea

Hope it clears up soon! Keep us updated!

Also, fish (omega 3) and other oil supplements help with dry skin. But it of course depends on your animal friendliness outlook.

I sprinkle milled flax seed on my cats food and that gives him a beautiful coat and normal skin. I buy the Hodgson Mill Milled Flax Seed brand which is close to the flour aisle in the market and a box only cost about 2 bucks. I give my cat a 1/4 tsp on each meal. This gives him the omega he needs naturally without the lead that's in fish. Hope this helps.

thats for the advice everything, madpoet I will look for that when I go shopping. I have 3 dogs, will it be safe for all of them even if they dont have the dryskin?

It seems to be clearing up some already, and shes not sratching it as much! I think this aloe might work! :D

thats for the advice everything, madpoet I will look for that when I go shopping. I have 3 dogs, will it be safe for all of them even if they dont have the dryskin? Absolutely. The dog food I feed my dogs (Eagle Pack Natural Formula) is fortified with flax and omega 3s, and I'm always getting compliments on how nice and shiny my dog's coats are... and they rarely ever get baths.

I agree Omega Fatty Acids are the best for dogs with any dry skin conditions. In a pinch I have use Linatone (a supplement) from petco or petsmart.

But I would think any Flax seed oil sprinkled on their food and maybe even jojoba rubbed onto the dry spot would be good.

Good luck!

thanks everyone! the dry skin is gone! (yay) and the aloe made her coat look very healthy. Is it ok to apply it to my dogs every once in a while, even when they dont have dry skin? I love the impact it had on her coat