Dry skin

Question
My 9 year old lab has dry skin.  Over the years we have tried diet changes including food, oils, and added fat. Nothing seems to work.  I noticed your site mentioned alpha keri lotion, how whould you apply this?  Wouldn't it be a mess?

Answer
Hi Kathy,
I don't know where you got that answer but it wasn't from me. One of the veterinarians might have mentioned that, but a topical isn't going to help your dogs one bit.

Getting him on Science Diet for Sensitive Skin Formula is the only thing I have seen help a dog with the flakes and dry skin.
We are what we eat and dogs are no different.
Science Diet Sensitive Skin provides precisely balanced nutrition to help avoid dry, flaky and itchy skin. It is made with high quality ingredients and an ideal combination of nutrients and clinically proven antioxidants for better overall health. It also contains high levels of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids to nourish the skin and replenish its essential oils.

The Sensitive Skin formula is not recommended long term for Senior dogs and your dog is a senior at 9 years old. Hills Senior formula would benefit him greatly after you have used the Sensitive Skin formula for a few months.
The Senior has everything he needs for his skin and to retain muscle mass, a healthy digestive system and has essentials nutrients to help his joints move better and for better brain function.

These formulas are the most complete foods you can buy for him that are nutrient dense, which mean he gets more available nutrients out of less food- which means less cost to you (about 49 cents a feeding), highly digestible, which means less waste for you to clean up, and come with a 100% money back guarantee. No other food on the market does.

So I would start with the Sensitive Skin formula and you will see a change in about three weeks. That is how long it takes for any food to make changes that you can see in the dog's coat and body.

Then slowly switch him to senior once his coats clears up. Make sure all food transitions are done slowly over a seven day period.

So instead of buying more and more additives to the food- go to the source, the food itself, and let it do the work for you.
Let me know how it is going in a while.