Cocker Spaniel Skin Problems

Question
QUESTION: Dear Delores,
My Cocker Spaniel,Nemo is 5 and a half yrs old and is having skin problems.and By this i mean that he is losing his hair in certain places,like on his tail and belly and his skin is very dry.Also he continuously scratches himself and due to this,his skin becomes red where he has scratched it.I've taken him to a vet and had a blood test done and the results are all ok indicating that there's nothing wrong internally.Also nemo is a typically sewwt natured dog,Healthy otherwise,active and friendly to everyone.What do you recommend for the skin problem?

ANSWER: I have some questions, Jonathan.

Is that all your vet did?  If so, you need a new vet.  He should have taken a few skin cells by either using a piece of tape or a small scrape of Nemo's skin and then analyzed it to see if this is bacteria or yeast.

When you say his skin is dry - is it flaky? (Like dandruff).
Does his skin have any odor?
What are you feeding him?
What do you use for flea control?
What is the climate where you live?
How long has this been going on?
Does he scratch everywhere or just in particular spots?
Does he have ear problems?

One thing you can do immediately is to give Nemo a bath using a gentle oatmeal based or neem oil based dog shampoo.  The most important thing is to rinse him extremely well and it's best if you have a hand-held shower attachment.  When you think you've rinsed enough - rinse 10 more times in tepid water.

Then give him an oatmeal soak.  You buy Aveeno - it comes in a box with packets of powder (pure colloidal oatmeal)and you fill the tub with tepid water, mix a packet in and keep him in it for 10 minutes.
I know Target carries a generic version - but the label should say "100% colloidal oatmeal".

The bath and soak will alleviate the itching and give Neemo some comfort.  Do not rinse after the oatmeal soak.

If you'll answer my other questions I can help more.

It may sound counter-productive to bath when his skin is dry, but it's not.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok here goes,His skin is dry and is flaky like dandruff.His skin doesnt have any particular odour.He gets his food form a dgo care service called homecare that is a mash of mutton bits and chicken etc.Hes been having it all his life.we use akvet shampoo for dogs for his bath along with asuntha soap for dogs.We live in india and the climate is hot and humid.As of now the climate is really hot bcoz the monsoon has not come as expected so the climate is really hot.The scratching has been going on for a couple of months.He scratches in Particular spots like on his back, on his paws, on his front leg joints and sometimes on his belly but these are the main places where he scratches.He doesn't have ear problems but his ears have lost some of their hair.

Answer
Hot and humid isn't ideal for cockers so try and keep him inside as much as possible.

Can you get an oatmeal or neem oil dog shampoo?  Can you find some colloidal oatmeal to soak him in?  Talk to a Pharmacist.  See if you can find some Sebolux shampoo (for humans) or Nizoral.

The food you're feeding might be a problem.  Can you list the ingredients for me?

But please begin some topical approaches to give Nemo some relief.
And get him clipped down.  Bathing is key for skin problems and I'm hoping you have access to a Vet Dermatologist?

But you have to get on this, Jonathan.  It will get worse if you don't.
Delores