Has anyone got any tips on treating a cavaliers dry skin?
He looks like he has got really bad dandruff bless him!!
We have only bathed him once and brush him every evening, he is just on Eukanuba dried food which is what the breeder fed him..?
Also any tips on how to keep him smelling pleasant? there seem to be lots of sprays on the market but i don't want to use anything that may aggravate his dry skin.
P.S Vet says it isn't anything to worry about!

Thanks

I give my dogs Cod Liver Oil with every meal, and or Oily fish.
I find this keeps their coats shiny and their skin lovely
xx

I would consider changing the food to see if that helps.

Or try adding in some oils such as EPO to help skin condition. :)

I agree, it's a good idea to change foods.

If he has dry skin AND an odour,as the others have said,a food change is probably in order.Fish oil and vitE will help too,even healthy dogs with great skin and coat benefit from omega 3's,as most foods have an overabundance of 6's which is why i dont recommend EPO.

Hi,
How old is your Cavalier? I ask because both of mine went through a dry skin stage at around 4-6 months old - our vet told us that this had a lot  to do with the adult coat coming through. I feed mainly Arden Grange (with bits added - tuna, meat - natures menu etc added) and neither of mine have a problem with dry skin now and they are aged 1yr 9 months and the little fella is 9 months old. Re the smell, both mine get smelly faces - the area where tear staining occurs smells on my two and also around their mouths - (lip folds) I wash their faces daily and dry thoroughly. I was advised by a vet freind that a little oraldene human mouth wash on a cotton pad is good to cleanse the mouth area and helps to prevent infection and lip fold dermatitis but always remember to dry well.

Hayley

Thanks for the advice.
In terms of cod liver oil is this just the liquid form from the health food shop for humans?
He doesn't really smell of anything foul he just smells really "doggy" if that makes sense? We had a staffie before and she never smelt of anything but i think its because he has long hair??!!

He is 4 months old so maybe it could be his new coat coming in? He doesn't seem irritated by his skin its just not very nice because he is black and tan!:rolleyes:

Would a wet and dry diet maybe be better because of the dryness?

Thanks

If he's smelling 'doggy' is he catching his coat when he wee's? Sometimes mine catch their front leg feathers and tummy fur when they wee - all you can do with that is give tummy baths a couple of times a week or wipe over with baby wipes.

Hi there, if your dog has been checked for heatlh and does not have walking dandruff etc then I would increase the level of Omega 3 in the diet.  This can be found in flaxseed however many dogs cannot metabolise this efficiently and it can cause itching.  The best source is Fish Body oil but a reputable brand that identifies the EPA/DHA content ; with this you must also give Vitamin E as the former depelets the body of the latter.  1000mg of FBO a day with a natural source E say 200iu for a dog your size.  I would avoid giving CLO as it is high in vigtamins A and D which are fat soluble and can prove toxic to dogs liver, especially as a commercially fed dog will have sufficient Vitaimin A in the food anyway..  EPO is useful to give alongside as long as there are no contraindications such as epilepsy.

Sometimes when dogs are moulting their can temporarily go scurfy, I have this problem at the moment with one of mine.

I echo what tohme says about CLO, my vet also says not to give dogs CLO because it can build up toxicity in them.

I will have a look today for foods that may be higher in fish oils.

Thanks for the advice i will let you know how he gets on.

Would adding oily fish to dry food work as well as suppliments? Salmon, sardines, pilchards etc...Just a thought?

>Would adding oily fish to dry food work as well as suppliments? Salmon, sardines, pilchards etc.

Yup :)

>I will have a look today for foods that may be higher in fish oils.

Fish oils added to foods are rarely in therapeutic levels,you wil most likely still have to supplement.