QuestionI have a 3 year old Pomeranian, besides being extremely overweight she also has dry skin and it has only recently come to the stage where I can actually see her flaky belly. I have been feeding her Purina-One, but I briefly switched her to Bill-Jac to see if I would get an improvement, but all I got was a heavier dog. What is your suggestion as far as diet and any supplements you might can suggest to clear up her dry skin. Thanks in advance for any help.
AnswerHi Jackie, ***additional info added
Purina-One is a very low-quality dog food. Bill-Jac isn't that great either. Feed her human-grade kibble/canned foods such as: Petguard, Wellness, Innova, California Natural, Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc. You can add fresh foods like beef, chicken, fish, cottage cheese, yogurt (without added sugar), cheese, brown rice, oatmeal, eggs, veggies, fruit, etc. (I never feed my pom junk food or anything with refined processed sugar.) Fresh foods are best and canned is better than kibble.
Or you could prepare a homemade diet for her. You can find books at the library on how to prepare homemade recipes for your dog. I started cooking for my pom about two months ago. After much research on dog nutrition, I have created my own recipes. I make enough for two or three weeks and freeze it in individual servings. My pom loves my cooking!
You didn't mention how much your dog weighs or how overweight she is. My pom weighs seven pounds and eats just under a cup of food a day. Start feeding her a little less and check her weight after a week. She should lose about 2-3 ounces a week.
The dry skin is due to poor diet. Adding EFAs (essential fatty acids) like fish oils, to her new diet will help greatly. Bathing is also important. I recommend DVM EFA HyLyt Shampoo. Bathe her about once a week. Make sure you rinse her well.
Let me know if you need more help.
Best Regards,
Carrie
PLEASE SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS.
