Flax seed oil or Fish oil for dogs? etc..?

FISH OIL! its done wonders with my pitbull mix who has quite a few skin problems ..or should i say DID ... when we adopted her she had itchy dry skin and got rashes and "acne" all the time ... we switched to a better quality food (california natural) and that worked a little but after she got another rash the vet said to squeeze 1-2 fish oil pills in her food everyday and within a week her coat was shinier and softer and no more itching or rashes! then a friend started giving it to her senior lab mix who had a very dull coat and VERY dry skin and it worked wonders for her too! .. i actually dont put it in her food everyday ... i've gone down to 2 pills once a week and nothing has changed ..regular bathes and brushing can help a lot too :)

Fish oil gives dogs a good skin and coat BUT it can take MONTHS before you see the results so be prepared to wait. I never heard that any oil was a cure for itching unless the dog had an incredibly dry skin. In that case, therapeutic shampoos would be prescribed, also (and possibly more).

Itchiness is often caused by an allergy to pollen or an allergy to flea bites. With a flea bite allergy, the dog usually has a bare or thinning spot that starts near the base of the tail and goes up the back. It will also travel down the back legs and spread more, as time passes. There may or may not be some open sores. First step is to get rid of the fleas and to get treatment from the vet (which I discuss below).

With pollen allergies, you often see a lot of paw licking (on the undersides) and there seems to be no visible cause (because we can't see tiny pollens in the air we breathe). Many people's dogs have good results with Benadryl (and some get NO help at all but it's worth a try). If you want to try Benadryl, go to www.benadryl.com and find the correct dose for your dog (it goes by weight). I think dogs use Children's Benadryl.

Vets usually prescribe steroids as the treatment of choice for dogs with bad allergies and they work exceedingly well. People worry about a shortened life span with steroids. I am currently grooming a 16 year old dog who has been on steroids since he was ten months old, so it doesn't necessarily have that effect. Steroids bring a dog almost instant relief from the crazy-making itching. It's worth while to talk to your vet about steroids (and ask all of the questions you may have) if he or she should suggest them.

Air fresheners, colognes, not rinsing a dog completely after a bath, scented fabric softener used on the dog's bedding, carpet freshener and other scented things make many dogs itchy, too.

Some dogs get itchy from eating corn or foods made with corn. Read all ingredients labels carefully.

Your vet has probably already told you all of this and more. Hope your dog feels better soon!

If you're just buying a low-cost store brand of dog food immediately switch to a higher quality, more natural diet dog food. A lot of the natural brands may included oils, including flax seed which is high in Omega-3 fatty acids as well as other nutrients and fiber. If the food was natural, high quality and provided complete nutrition then additional supplements may not be necessary, unless trying to aid in healing or strengthening the immune system to fight illness See my profile for a link to more information on a possible choice I recommend that contains flax seed meal as a source for fatty acids or ask your vet. Good luck.

I use salmon oil. Skin allergies are caused by inflammation under the skin and salmon oil is a natural anti inflammatory. My yorkie had bad skin allergies I put her on a fish based grain free food (orijen 6 fish formula) and she gets one squirt a day. I order mine online but u can get it at pet stores. My yorkie no longer has to take benedryl or steroids and has no more itching or rashes.

I'd do fish oil, it is a healthy oil and great for skin. Have you checked for allergies?

My whippets benefited most from krill oil. I learned that hemp seed oil is the best source but rarely available and bit more expensive. I found this info from the www.oilfordogs.com