dry, itchy skin

Question
I have a small standard dachshund, about 16 lbs. He is almost 2 yrs. old. We live in Southeastern Virginia. He is an indoor dog. For about 3 months now, he has been scratching and biting himself; pretty much anywhere he can reach. His coat is now speckled with bald spots and it seems to be getting worse. It is mostly his sides, haunches and tail. We are pretty sure we've narrowed the problem down to just dry skin from the indoor heating - we are constantly stopping him from sitting directly in front of, or even right on top of the heating vents. I have tried a hypo-allergenic shampoo and Sulfodene shampoo; I only bathe him about twice a month; is there any kind of supplement I can give him, or a topical product I can apply? I am pulling my hair out over this (pardon the pun!)

Answer
I really doubt that the indoor heat would cause that much itching unless the skin is dry and cracked to the point of bleeding.  More likely, he has an allergy to something in the house.  Common things include molds in the carpets and house dust mites which live in any kind of fabric.  These are very commonly found in most homes.  Have the dog checked by your vet. If it is an allergy, he might need some steroids to calm down the skin and let it heal.

Sometimes you can use Omega3 fatty acid supplements in the dog's diet to make the skin less sensitive and to replace oils inthe skin.  HOwever these dietary supplements can take 60-90 days to start working.