Dog Community

Changed Diet - Now Dandruff

Posted : 3/6/2006 3:33:30 PM

About 6 weeks ago I started Kobi on a Raw diet. For 1 month he was alternating between raw a and kibble and I did notice a vey nice shine to his coat. The last 2 weeks he has been totally on Raw. The coat is still nice and shiny - however he has developed dandfruff, which he has NEVER had. Could he be missing something in his diet or possibly getting too much of something?

Along with the meat, bones and veggies I am supplimenting with kelp, seeweed, fish oil and vitamins. The diet has been the only change. I have not bathed him all winter. Any ideas?

jennie_c_d

Posted : 3/6/2006 3:35:31 PM

Are you feeding him some fish body oil???

amylu

Posted : 3/6/2006 4:03:51 PM

My dog has had dandruff lately, too. I think it might be from being indoors with the heat on all the time. I know it dries out my skin. But, now that the weather's warming up here, it's gotten better.

cakana

Posted : 3/6/2006 4:06:15 PM

If it's the only problem he's having (no smell, no other changes to the coat) then perhaps it's just a low-humidity issue that's taken awhile to show up (thru winter). I know my skin has been really dry the last few weeks. I've seen lots of folks recommend using a humidifier. You could see if that helps.

boggensmama

Posted : 3/6/2006 4:32:16 PM

Could it be that he needs a bath and the warm dry indoor air is making his skin dry. Dyllan always gets drier skin in the wintertime for some odd reason. Possibly could he be allergic to something that you're giving him that's new? A new veggie or fruit he's not used to?
~Boomer

denise_m

Posted : 3/6/2006 4:47:17 PM

Thank you for your replies.

Jennie, It says on the container Molecular Distilled Wild Salmon & Krill Oils
Daily Dose: 1 full pump (1/2tsp) per 10lbs dog weight. Kobi is approx. 70 lbs. Does that seem like a lot to you? 3 1/2 tsp looked like a lot of oil in his dish , so I really have only been giving him 4 or 5 squirts. Can they get dandruff from too oily of skin? Do you give fish oils? How much?

Amylu & Cakana, I guess it could be from the dry house, but it is warming up here as well and it seems to getting worse each day instead of better. Would a good bath help or hurt? What about a dandfruff shampoo?

cakana

Posted : 3/6/2006 5:30:41 PM

I would definitely try giving him a bath. My girl (Sassy) has so many problems (allergies) and had horrible dandruff all last summer. The only thing that really helped was the Nu Sal T shampoo. It kept the dandruff away for longer than anything else. Others say that Nova Pearls works really well too. Because of the allergies Sassy has, the vet recommended a final rinse of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. I'm not sure if that's necessary (or even a good idea) with your dog since it just seems to be flakey skin and maybe not other problems.

Mary

Posted : 3/7/2006 2:56:33 PM

What kind of organ meats are you feeding?

And how much fish oil are you giving him? I know I have to up the oil during the winter because it's so dry out!

ETA: In the winter I give two 40# dogs 3000mg and my 60# dog 5000mg (also for arthritis)

jennie_c_d

Posted : 3/7/2006 2:58:39 PM

I give up to a tablespoon (three teaspoons) to my LITTLE dogs. Emma weighs 16 pounds, and she can have that much, so I'm guessing it's fine for your big guy to even have double that. If it looks like too much, you can always split it between two meals...

denise_m

Posted : 3/7/2006 4:48:02 PM

I have been alternating weekly between Beef & Organ and Chicken (Healthy Paws frozen patties). A friend told my today that she mixes her meat each meal. Kobi seems to like both. Is one better than the other? Should he get more organ meats?

Well maybe 3 1/2 tsp isn't too much then. I just find it odd that the dandruff has started since the Raw diet - never before! Maybe I'll try upping his oil to the reccommended dose and see if that helps.

Thanks again.

pamzshihtzu

Posted : 3/7/2006 8:06:12 PM

Denise

If you believe that a healthy FRESH food diet will "DETOX" a dog (or cat), then, that may be what the dandruff is -- according to this article (on cats, but still informative): [linkhttp://www.holisticat.com/skin_arch1.html[/link] >http://www.holisticat.com/skin_arch1.html]http://www.holisticat.com/skin_arch1.html[/link] Read the entire thread.

have you tried any digestive enzymes? I don't know if they are needed with a RAW diet. I do use them with my Tzus homeCOOKED diet. Maybe your dog just needs some help digesting/adjusting to his new RAW diet?
I'm assuming your recipe is well -balanced (has variety in muscle meats and organs, etc), and also covers trace minerals (you mentioned kelp and some other sea vegetation, so it sounds as though it's all covered). But not all supplements are created equal, so maybe if you don't see result with the supplements in a month or 2, you should switch? I've gone through a ton of supplements! I could open a store! lol Some are great, others...got tossed. You just have to keep trying, until you find one that is easily metabolized by your dog. Costly, but worth it once you find the ones that work.

hth!
Pam

myorganicpets

Posted : 3/11/2006 12:27:14 AM

Can they get dandruff from too oily of skin?

Actually dandruff is NOT dry skin. .
Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis are caused by a naturally occurring fungus that we all have called Malassezia that feeds on the skin's natural oils. Malassezie can cause irritation and speed up the shedding of skin. What determines the amount of dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis is a person's tolerance to the fungus.

It could also be seborrheic dermatitis : is characterized by severe flaking, inflammation, redness and itchiness

What is the difference between dandruff and just dry skin? The main difference iare flakes from dandruff are medium to large in size. The flakes are usually white and oily in appearance. The flakes are believed to be caused by Malassezia, a naturally occurring fungus found on the scalp. Dry scalp on the other hand is not quite as noticeable and is characterized by smaller flakes, excessive itching and occurs when your scalp lacks its natural oils.

So.. you need to determine which of these it is and treat it accordingly. Diet is not going to cause dandruff but will and can cause dry skin. And the only chance of dry skin is if it's not getting enough oil so I suggest you use the recommended amount of oil and not cut back like you've been doing. You'll probably see better results.