My westie has very greasy fur on his back.  He had demodex quite severely when he was a puppy but has been fine for years.  He is now 10 years old and I don't seem to be able to shift the grease from his fur.  One groomer I had recommended using Fairy Liquid which seemed to work for a while but it doesn't seem to have the desired effect now.  I am reluctant to go back to the vets but wondered if anyone had any natural remedies to offer.  He is not itchy so it doesn't seem to be bothering him in that way and it hasn't left him with the elephant skin he had as a puppy, but I do think it is a kind of yeast infection.  I have recently started to give him a spoonful of natural yoghurt in his food to try and treat from the inside out and have also read about applying diluted white vinegar to his fur, but am reluctant to start this in case it irritates his skin.   He is fed on Symply at the moment.   Any advice would be much appreciated.

Hi Linda - I have heard groomers talk of fairy liquid or Palmolive soap to get rid of greasy hair and have no idea if it works but it doesn't sound right to me somehow.

Is it his fur that is greasy to the touch or his skin? If its his skin does it have an odour or a colour to it? Does the hair look like it is starting to stain? Is there any broken skin or anything at all either where the hair is greasy or near  tail or glands? Anything other than just greasy hair? Some of these questions might help others make better suggestions for you.

I would personally take him to the vets for advice and to check it wasn't a skin infection or a sign of any other issue - especially bearing in mind his age and the fact that you have been able to keep his skin under control since his issues as a pup its never a good sign when there's any sudden change in an older dog and probably always best to get it checked out to rule out anything serious or something easily sorted with anti-biotics from the vet ....  I wouldn't change too much in his diet or add to much to it if his skin has been stable on the same food for quite a few years as if your westie is like mine any change to the diet is risky so far as triggering an allergic reaction on the skin when you have done so well to avoid it for so long - and I wouldn't dab anything on his fur until after you get him checked out by the vet - perhaps try that sort of thing once you have ruled anything medical out?

(the vet often prescribes malaseb shampoo which is a strong anti-fungal etc shampoo - its very drying if used too much but perhaps washing where the grease is with that will help and not cause too much drying if the skin is greasy too and you don't use it frequently - again though best to rule out possible causes with the vet first - in general I found an oatmeal shampoo is quite good at not aggravating skin but I'm not sure if your dog has a skin or just a hair issue :( sorry I cant help more)

If it isn't bothering him,  his skin is ok and not greasy,  and there is no smell,   you could try Chalk powder or corn starch and Chalk powder mixed together.   Many show Westies are cleaned with  Chalk or Chalk/corn starch (cornflour) rather than washed,  as it doesn't soften the coat like washing does.

Apply the powder,  work it into the coat,  leave for about 20 minutes,  then brush it out.   It should take the greasyness out of the coat

I'm sure washing up liquid will work,  but really,  it's just stripping the oils from the coat and skin.   As with greasy hair in humans,  there's often a rebound effect,  where it makes things worse,  rather than better.

Of course if the skin is smelly,  looking infected,  irritated etc then a visit to the vet is in order.

Thanks for your replies.
His skin appears to be okay and he has none of the tell tale signs of infection, not scratching and no strong smell.  If anything, the fur closest to his skin is actually really white and looks fine, but then the rest is greasy and very off white.  It is mainly on the top of his back and nothing round his tail or glands.  He always manages to attract dirt so I am used to him not staying white for long.  I am not really keen on using Washing up liquid on him and I know what you mean about it stripping the natural oils.  He is not keen on being bathed as he went through so much when he was a puppy so that is why I was hoping to solve it naturally.

Most show Terriers are rarely bathed unless they have rolled in something disgusting ;-)    My own dogs are bathed maybe 4 times a year at most.     They are powdered though as the coat can get greasy.    I use a mix of Johnsons talc free baby powder (Boots)  and Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking section of supermarket)  this deodourises and cleans without wetting or bathing the dog :-)

Is it possible that this greasyness is due to being stroked?

I've noticed that many of my friends stroke their dogs on their backs,  as do children,  and this can be a cause of greasiness and discolouration -  especially where children are concerned lol.   In a white dog,  this will show up far more quickly :-)

You can buy chalk powder easily from pet shops and on internet sites,  but the corn starch is just Cornflour which you can buy cheaply at any supermarket in the baking section :-)

If you prefer,  you could just try the Corn flour -  just a small amount dusted onto the coat,  rubbed in lightly,  then brushed out after about 15/20 minutes.

Some people also use talc, or a mixture of talc and cornflour,   but I'd be wary of that as it often contains fragrances which may irritate your Westie ;-)

Hi - if the hair is growing out of the skin white and then turns greasy then it doesn't sound like any major skin thing - if it were on the paws I would say it was caused by yeast or saliva but the back doesn't sound like either (he cant lick there afterall :) )  try the cornflour trick - they use it for cleaning and handstripping and if your good at thoroughly brushing out it soaks up grease and dirt well (leave it in for at least 30 mins before brushing out to give it a chance to soak stuff up) - chalk is more abrasive and drying and better for hand stripping - cornflour is really gentle and works well if you are able to rub it well in and brush it thoroughly out (I am useless with it -my Wallace ends up just looking like a grey mop because he has a very thick nice double coat but its not coarse so its a nightmare for me to brush out).  Its a really safe thing to try to begin with.

On a long shot... is your boy on any supplements? my vet suggested oil of primrose to hydrate my boys skin from the inside when he was younger and suffering with his skin - I was wondering if you had been told the same thing as maybe it has gone too far and has made things greasy instead.... or if he is taking any supplements like cod liver oil which may also possibly contribute to the problem....

ooooh..... one last question - is he clipped with scissors or with clippers or handstripped?  If he is clipped with clippers try to find someone to handstrip if possible instead (and if he has a coat able to be hand-stripped) as that can help the skin and the coat sort of ... uhm.. breathe better? (if that makes sense?)

(p.s. I know what you mean about your boy not liking being bathed after his experience young - my boy doesn't like me to was him but is fine with the groomer after the various baths when he was younger  -he also still wont take any treat out of my hands without spitting it back out on the floor and looking through it to see if naughty mum has snuck in any pills or supplements......and it has been years now but he has never forgotten)

Barney is clipped and I usually have him cut very short on his back to allow his skin to breathe.  His fur is not very thick on his back anyway as he lost most of it when he had demodex as a puppy and it never really grew back properly.  He ended up at the animal hospital in Newmarket and we thought he was going to have to be put to sleep when he was only 18 months old, that is how bad it was.  Luckily they seemed to cure him and he has been fine since.     I have considered putting him back onto evening primrose as I used that a lot when he was a puppy.  Like your boy tinar, Barney is fine with the groomer but just will not let me put him in the bath and gets aggressive so I don't even try anymore.  I have found a groomer who will bath him and isn't too expensive so I think I will take him back there first then if no improvement it may be a trip to the vet.  I just don't want them only suggesting that I bath him regularly.  and I know what you mean about the treat thing - Barney is always suspicious and checks for lumpy bits!!

Hi LindaA - your boys sounds like he had a really bad case when he was young - if I were you I would tread careful - try the groomer and cornflour or cornflour & baby powder dry baths in between times and see if that works or helps - I try not to muck around with my boys diet and cleaning regime too much since he had allergies when he was young that stopped aswell but I really don't want it back so I don't change much if I can help it seeing as whatever he's having seems to be working. I'm pretty sure the same applies to you from the sound of it too :)

So if his skin is okay and you're not concerned that its in any way changing, inflamed, itching, raiserd, reddened, or the skin itself is discoloured or smelling then I would try to keep things exactly as you have been since he was a pup since that's what's working - afterall grease is easier to live with than the skin flares.

Oil of primrose may hydrate the skin but I don't think any grease on the hair will be helped unless the skin itself is the cause - you can try some if it has worked in the past and try a brush through with cornflour if he's in the mood to let you in between grooms. Try to figure out if you have changed anything since about 2 months before his hair got greasy - because if its a reaction to something he's eating it can take that long to create a reaction - or maybe a change in washing powder, air freshener, flea treatments (advocate makes my dogs back greasy the whole month - stronghold doesn't), worming tablets.  Because any change could be the cause and often its the unexpected.

If you do try anything make sure you just try one thing at a time - so if you add a supplement don't change his food or bathing at the same time  - otherwise if anything actually makes his skin flare you wont know what thing did it - and if something works you wont know either.  Try your groomer - ask her if its possible for her not to use clippers on the back but to groom with scissors or a stripping knife on the problem area justo try to keep the top coat longer than the undercoat and keep the undercoat light on that specific area -  sometimes with clippers all the hair is the same length and even if it doesn't feel thick it is harder for dead hair or skin to shed and let the air in - if she cant do that then make sure you do your best to slicker it through a lot as it will disperse the grease and help with the undercoat shedding easily. (hopefully your boy will let you do that?).

If I think of anything else I'll be back in the thread to say!!  And if you do have to go to the vet - even if they say some rubbish about bathing him - at least they have put your mind at rest that its not medical.  I found that vets take one look at a westie and the first thing they ask about is the skin and do I know that westies get allergies - drives me nuts - I've learnt to ignore anything they say unless its actually a diagnosis or treatment. Last time I went I walked in - told them that my dog had a skin flare up in his ear that's caused an infection and that I need Cleanaural wash and Canaural drops - vet told me that it might not be that or need that treatment - poked my dog around - spent 20 mins telling me about skin and the ear and how to administer drops - and then gave me the exact stuff I said I needed and confirmed he had what I said he had. Guess they have to find a way to justify the appointment costs :)  That said - I always go when I worry since its worth the cash just to put my mind at rest.

Hope you find the cause and something that helps with the coat -  from a fellow mum of westie allergy-sufferer - with love x

LindA - I have just had a thought - westies often suffer with Seborrhea - most of the time it is dry itchy flaky skin which is why I didn't mention it earlier and often with smell - but it can also actually be greasy skin and/or coat sometimes with odour and sometimes without - ask your groomer if she could try using a basic cold tar shampoo with Salicylic Acid and Sulfur as that can work - and is a safe sort of shampoo to try for allergy sufferers ..... this is the one I know of:-  (hopefully this link will work..)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Synergy-Labs-Antiparasitic--Antiseborrheic-Medicated/dp/B0037Z6VK8/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1422019157&sr=1-1&keywords=Synergy+Labs#productDetails

My terrier suffered for years with greasy skin and coat. We were prescribed Malaseb for a while but it really irritated him so the vet changed it to Sebolytic shampoo which is much more gentle and it really helped.