Question
Cicero
My 7-year-old miniature schnauzer Cicero has developed flaky
skin/dandruff over the past several months. He is groomed (hand-stripped)
every six weeks, and bathed with an oatmeal shampoo. His diet is a meal-
by-meal rotation of three kibbles - Innova EVO, Fromm Salmon a la Veg,
and Fromm Duck & Sweet Potato - which I mix with a bit of cottage cheese
and chopped fresh green beans or snap peas. Having experienced this skin
condition with my first schnauzer, I know it's a puzzle about whether it's
seborrhea or dry skin. Nine days ago our vet put him on an antibiotic and
recommended a fish oil supplement (Welcactin) - 1/2 tsp daily in his
morning meal. Brushing him this morning, I still see a lot of flakes coming
off his skin - not sure if the treatment is doing any good or exacerbating
the situation. He is not scratching - the dandruff actually bothers me more
than him. Would appreciate your insight. Thank you.
AnswerThere are many things that can cause dry skin, and winter can be particularly hard on some due to the lack of humidity in our homes with furnaces running. http://www.petplace.com/dogs/seborrhea-in-dogs/page1.aspx
Since your vet put the dog on antibiotics, he must strongly suspect an issue that the antibiotics should help (one hopes, anyway). You might also consider having the dog's thyroid level checked, and possibly have him tested for Cushing's Disease, if the vet didn't do those already. Both can be a problem in schnauzers. Also give the dog a bit (tsp. or so) of plain yogurt daily since antibiotics will kill off all bacteria in his body, both bad AND good. The yogurt will help to replace the good bacteria.
Fish oil supplement can be very good for dry skin, but it does take time to work. One of my grooming clients has an old schnauzer who has had intestinal issues the last couple years, and she finally put her on raw, frozen food medallions for the intestinal issues, but the dog's skin got VERY flaky over time. I suggested she put Gracie on fish oil capsules, and when I saw the dog 2-3 months later, she was better, but still slightly flaky. When the dog came next a couple weeks ago, her skin was greatly improved, and her coat was very shiny. She looked terrific for a nearly 14-year-old dog! She looks more like a middle-aged dog than a geriatric one. Give the fish oil time to work.
When the dog is bathed, be sure that he is thoroughly rinsed. When you think he is done, rinse him again. Shampoo residue can cause dry skin, and stripped coats can be hard to rinse out well, particularly if there is any amount of undercoat under the harder jacket. Once a day spray his coat with witch hazel and brush him well with a flat bristle brush. Take one stroke with the brush, and one stroke with your opposite hand. Continue brushing with alternate arms (brush, hand, brush, hand) over the entire coat. This will help to bring up the dog's natural oils and impart a bit from your hand. The witch hazel helps to collect any dirt and dander and keeps it from flying around. Since we tend to not bathe stripped coats when we are showing, this is what we do to clean the coat.
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