Healthy but itchy

Question
Hi Dr Gotthelf,
My dog has dandruff.  We feed him Iams Lamb and rice formula and bath him only when he is stinky, (as in, look what I rolled in) and not nice to pet.  
We have tried veterinarian perscribed shampoo, without much success.  Our vet isn't concerned about any health issues, and it usually settles down once he has lost his winter coat.  I was wondering if a home concoction of cooked, cooled and blended oatmeal, egg and a little tea tree oil shampoo might help him through this period without harm.  He is an indoor dog.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Mom


Answer
It is possible that this could be a nutritional problem. A hypoallegenic diet from the vet with only one protein source would be the best way to handle this. If there is a true food allergy, he would be doing this all year long.  I would suspect that this may be a seasonal allergy problem.  There is something called Omega3 Fatty Acids that you can add to the food to help stop some of the flakiness. The dog may also have a secondary bacterial infection on the skin that is causing the flakes. If this persists, ask your vet if allergies are a problem.