Dry Patching Skin

Question
I have a Shih Tzu about 9 years old and he has very dry skin that sometimes gets so bad he has little bumps and his skin crawls when you reach down to pet him.  Keeps hi awake at night sometimes also.  Can I do anything to help cure this problem?  We bath him with a medicated shampoo I bought from my vet about once a month.  We have been giving him a pill for his coat once a day that we bought at Wal Mart.  Says its good for the coat.  Help!

Dave

Answer
For dry skin, there are some skin conditioning sprays available from your vet. A new spray for itchy skin is called Genesis. It has some cortisone in it to relieve the itchiness. IF the itchiness continues, you need to let your vet look at the skin to see if the dog could benefit from a cortisone shot.

Check to see if the pills you are giving contain Omega3 fatty acids.  That is the best thing for dry, itchy skin.