dryskin

Question
I have a 4 yr old shitzu who I think has dry skin.  She seems to be chewing or licking her paws and scratching a lot more than usual.  She gets canned dog food 1/4 c in the morning along with hard food and at night eats veg and meat from the table.  All very small portions as we are trying to take some weight off her.  We put resolution on her once a month after her bath. Mostly done at the groomers. Can you offer any suggestions?  Thank You Gail

Answer

Kibbles 'n Bits Hi Gail, (see update below for food evaluation)
Dry skin is not usually a problem in dogs. If you are treating her with revolution, her chewing/licking is most likely allergy-related. What is the brand of food she eats? There are several things to consider when feeding her human food or selecting an appropriate dog food:

1) Select a food that is free of these known allergy-inducing ingredients (note ingredient intolerance presents differently, but the same ingredients can cause either or both).
Avoid: Corn, wheat, soy, and dairy products. Also, avoid foods that contain dye, which can cause allergies and other more serious health problems. A perfect example of food which contains several dyes (five) is Kibbles 'n Bits (pictured below).

Dog food manufacturers add dye to food as a marketing ploy. Unscrupulous pet owners often purchase dog food based solely on what is pictured on the bag or from manufacturers who frequently advertise. High-end dog foods never contain dye or cancer causing chemicals, such as BHA or BHT.

This link offers a plethora of useful material: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ What I love about this site is they do not feature advertisements; in other words, they don't sell-out. Instead, the site contains information based on scientific research and case studies.  

2) If you feed your dog meat and vegetables from the table, consider feeding meat that is not fried or breaded. Fried meats often contain flour, egg and oil. Since she is overweight, consider replacing vegetables that are cooked with butter, to such vegetables as string beans, which are fat free and very low in calories and carbohydrates. Another option is canned organic pumpkin (not pie mix). Dogs love pumpkin and many naturopathic veterinarians recommend its use daily to keep stools consistent. Since it is loaded with fiber, it works well for constipation OR diarrhea. For a Shih-tzu, 1/2 tsp added to her food twice daily with warm water is sufficient.

3)Have your groomer use only hypoallergenic shampoo. Some groomers use oatmeal if clients ask for a mild shampoo but many oatmeal shampoos contain fragrance, which can cause a dog with sensitive skin to scratch. Also, if the groomer uses conditioner, make sure that is does not contain fragrance. Early in my grooming career, I used Bio-groom shampoo. Nearly all of my clients complained that their dogs scratched after the bath. I now only use fragrance-free shampoos and I do not use conditioner. If your Shit-tzu is in full coat, I would suggest using The Stuff, a silicone based conditioner, available at petedge.com and elsewhere.

4) Lastly, here are a few suggestions for high quality dog foods:

Orijin, Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo, Newman's Own, Canadae (grain free),
Flint River Ranch (note this can only be ordered online by a distributor and avoid any that contain wheat or corn)EVO and Innova. If you occasionally run out of food and tend to go to the supermarket instead of a pet supply store, I would recommend Newman's Own, which is available at Safeway, IGA and other supermarkets.

Lastly, If you switch dog foods, do so slowly by mixing her old food with the new food. The switch should be gradual and it should take at least a week before she is eating the new brand by itself. If her food is replaced with a high-end food that does not contain the ingredients listed above, it's imperative to not give her treats that contain dyes, wheat, corn, etc. In other words, make sure she does not ingest anything that could cause an allergic reaction. Avoid Science Diet and all the hype that goes along with it. While veterinarians not only sell Hill's Science Diet, they readily prescribe it even though it contains inferior ingredients and cancer causing chemicals (BHA and BHT).

Good-luck with her!

Gail, Calorie Control Medi-Cal by Roayl Canin contains both wheat and corn. You didn't mention which food from the Royal Canin line you currently feed. If you feed Developement dry, for example, it contains corn and dairy. Here is the link to Royal Canin foods along with a ingredient list: http://www.royalcanin.ca/index.php/eng/Veterinary-Exclusive-Diets/Veterinary-Exc...
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