Dermatology - Elderly Golden Retriever

Question
My 12-year-old Golden Retriever has very large dander - flakes the size of pencil erasers.  It is very difficult to brush out.  It seems to want to cling to her coat.  What does drop out has to be broomed up - a dust mop won't pick it up.  

She is on dry senior dog food (a very expensive dog food).  About 3 weeks ago, I started adding some olive oil (1 Tablespoon per 3 cups)to her food.  I hoped this would help.  Should I try a dandruff shampoo next? She doesn't have a regular bath schedule.  We generally bathe her after kennel boarding 1-2 times a year and occasionally in the summer when she needs it.  Is this more than dry skin?

Thanks for your time.

Julie  

Answer
This could be a sign of low thyroid hormone.  It could also be a sign of bacterial infection.  Ask your vet to check these things out for you.

If you are going to add oil to the food to help the skin, the best thing to use is Omega3 Fatty Acids.  These are available from your vet.