Recommend a good skin/coat conditioner

I got some stuff called "Humilac" from the vet.  It's made by Virbac and it really cut down on the dandruff and made his coat very shiny.  However, it feels GROSS when you pet them for the first little bit.  It's not greasy - and you can use it as a conditioner after bathing - or just as needed as a spray on.  The hair shaft feels thick and ... well ... I can't describe it - but it's weird.

It does work though...

Hey thanks for the info.   I'm hoping it makes him look... not like he's 14.  He's gotta be good for the ladies in the neighborhood after all []

A good healthy shiny coat comes from the INSIDE, not the outside. For a good coat you need to pay attention to what you're feeding your dog. Hopefully he is on a high quality, high protein diet w/plenty of linoleic acid and lots of Omega 3's & 6's. You may want to add either Olive oil, Salmon Oil or Walnut oil to your dog's food every day and make sure he's getting proper vitamins and minerals.    Topical solutions are not a substitute for good nutrition and just like a human,  the condition of your hair, nails and skin tells alot about your inner health and the only way to change that is to change what goes IN your body, not ON it.

Totally agree with Sharon! Topical treatments can only do so much,you must start from the inside out.If you're already feeding a good food,salmon oil and vitE can help put a shine on the coat and make their skin more supple.I use a product with six or seven different oils,off the top of my head it contains: Safflower oil,flaxseed oil,cod liver oil,evening primrose oil,vitE,sunflower oil,wheatgerm oil.I also give salmon oil daily and vitE every second day or so.My dogs coats were shiny before i started the mixed oil product,however since starting it their coats and skin are like velvet [sm=wink2.gif] It's quite the task to get a clipped tzu's coat to shine as they are so fluffy,it's hard to tell,not like short haired sleek dogs,but the oils i give have managed to give them the shine!

However all the supps in the world are useless if you feed a crappy food,this should be the first port of call.

Noel what food are you feeding?

I also agree with Sharon.  But, assuming that he's already on a GREAT food, some of the exterior stuff could help.

I use a product with six or seven different oils,off the top of my head it contains: Safflower oil,flaxseed oil,cod liver oil,evening primrose oil,vitE,sunflower oil,wheatgerm oil.

 
Christine... what's the name of this stuff and is it available in the US ??
 
It's really weird... my two black dogs and both my cats have silky shiny coats, but my two white dogs have very soft coats but they're dull. They are all on the same food and get the same rmbs, Missing Link, etc. I'm wondering if it's just because their fur is coarse and fluffy, not slick and flat. They're a GSP and a Jack Russell.

White dogs don't seem to shine like black dogs. I'm not sure WHY but black dogs just sparkle.

I agree with Sharon, et.al. 
I supplement with Coconut Oil - 2 Tbls/day and Slicks coat is glistening.  I actually use the Coconut Oil for it's cancer prevention properties and the glossy coat is just a bonus. 
 
I ersonally wouldn't rely on something topical to make my dog *look* shiny - I'd rather he actually *be* shiny!   It kinda reminds me of when I see something that is food "flavored" - as in "cheese flavored" spread, or "butter flavored" popcorn.  I would rather just have the actual cheese and butter!!  LOL

  Jessie's coat is very shiny and we get compliments on her coat, but she has dandruff. She is fed a very good diet and supplemented with fish oil. Our vet also prescribed humilac for the dandruff, and it works great, and only costs $8 a bottle. The reason for her dandruff is because she spends a lot of time in the water when I walk her. We're fortunate in having a park with a creek, and 2 with lakes, and she loves to chase the minnows. The vet said that the water rinses the oils from her skin, which makes it dry and causes dandruff. Besides getting in the water frequently, dry air in the house in the winter can cause dandruff in dogs.
   In addition to the fish oil, I would recommend adding digestive enzymes to Spooky's food, such as Prozyme. A dog his age may not be digesting his food as well as when he was younger, and an enzyme supplement would help to ensure he is getting the available nutrients in his food, which in turn could help his coat.

he vet said that the water rinses the oils from her skin, which makes it dry and causes dandruff.

And you trust this vet?  DANDRUFF is NOT caused by oil being removed from the skin. That is DRY SKIN. Dandruff is actually caused by a yeast like fungus that feeds off the oils in the skin and causes an irritation which causes accelerated dead cell turnover. . Dandruff has large , thick, oily flakes.  Dry skin has small, thin dry flakes. This fungus lives on all of us much the same way the demodex mite lives on all dogs but only some dogs are susceptible to it getting out of control.  THAT is why dandruff medications contain antifungal agents like zinc and coal tar which  slows down cell turnover and also salicylic acid which sloughs off dead skin cells. Dandruff is not related to diet but dry skin is.

Pretty scary that your vet doesn't know the difference between dry skin and dandruff. Makes me wonder what else he doesn't know.

I hope you don't mind but I have a few questions.

1. Why is he getting a medicated flea shampoo and not something like a pro-spot?

2.How often is he getting shampooed.

3. Has his thyroid been tested?

4. What is he eating?

The reason I ask is that all those factors can contribute to hair loss, dry skin, etc.

Paula

I have worked w/ vets for years and talked to several dermatologists, we live in Colorado where there is really no moisture, usually about 5 - 12% humidity. I too have a water dog and in combination with the water and dry air, my dog athough fed a great diet and wonderful skin and coat supplements, has dandruff-like dry skin. Just as many dogs in this region do.

After speaking to the derm about it, I was told,"It is dry here, and your dog loves water, a few flakes are bound to happen"

I Think I will stick with my vet's opinion about this one.

Oh and that was in reply to this quote:

Pretty scary that your vet doesn't know the difference between dry skin and dandruff. Makes me wonder what else he doesn't know.

I have worked w/ vets for years and talked to several dermatologists, we live in Colorado where there is really no moisture, usually about 5 - 12% humidity. I too have a water dog and in combination with the water and dry air, my dog athough fed a great diet and wonderful skin and coat supplements, has dandruff-like dry skin. Just as many dogs in this region do.

After speaking to the derm about it, I was told,"It is dry here, and your dog loves water, a few flakes are bound to happen"

I Think I will stick with my vet's opinion about this one

I'd not considered climate as another factor in dry skin. I don't live in a dessicating environment.  BTW I'm going to be in Denver in June if things go as planned so I'll take your consideration and pack extra moisturizer.

Paula