Skip to content

Super dry skin

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • My male has extremely dry skin this winter - no surprise considering its been super cold (below zero overnights since Christmas) and my house has very low humidity. I've been rubbing Vit-E oil on his skin and I got some skin conditioner from the vet but he occasionally has flareups for some reason in the evening (probably when driest in the house). Any suggestions for lotions or other remedies?

  • An omega-3 (or fish oil) capsule once a day is good for both skin and overall health. I put it in a dab of pumpkin and heat it in the microwave, then mix in a little warm water and use it to moisten dry food for Ava's morning meal. A quarter- or half-teaspoon of olive oil mixed in with food will help dry skin, too. (If it causes diarrhea, step down the amount.) Some people mix the olive oil with warm water and massage it onto the skin, but I've stuck with the internal treatment and that keeps the coat soft and glossy. This winter has been brutal!

  • Agree with ownedbyspencer, Kaiser had very dry rough skin and was told by Holistic vet to give fish oil 1000mg to help with that and also give his skin more protection, we do 1 tablet daily he doesn't mind it squirted on his breakfast, had to start off with 1/2 a capsule in the am then 1/2 in the pm as it took time for his gut to adjust. We were told to do it for 3 months a couple of times a year but as soon as I stopped I noticed that he would get the dry skin back fast so we do it daily. Good luck.

    Jolanda and Kaiser

  • Will try both the fish oil capsules and the olive oil. Thanks.

  • i use fish oil or coconut oil. somewhere on line there is a list of 50 (?) uses for coconut oil. it's also great for human skin.

  • Olive oil works very quickly; cleared up my dogs dry skin in less than two weeks (though I put it in food) and is relatively cheap. Three table spoons a week I think is what vets have recommended. The high fat can cause some laxative issues though. You don't likely need fish [cod] oil after that, though if you have a decent fish source….never hurts as a supplement. Especially salmon. If you're neurotic about your dog's health [ as there is some controversy surrounding Olive oil], and wanting to pull out all the stops, just go straight for the fish oil.

Suggested Topics

  • Super Senior Issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    430 Views
    ZandeZ
    @wizard After 14 years, I am surprised you find anything about your Basenji 'obnoxious' ! Surely patience with this old doggie is more than deserved after so many years. She might well be telling you it is her time - my Basenjis have almost always told me - or she might be warning you of the impending time. If you find her whining obnoxious, could it be that your behaviour towards her has changed ? Are you being abrupt, less affectionate, changed in any way which could be confusing her ? Time to start analysing your own attitudes, perhaps ?
  • Dry, flaky skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    17
    0 Votes
    17 Posts
    5k Views
    D
    @prasadvaze There are wipes which you can use instead of baths, I imagine most of them neutralize odors and have a fresh scent. Perhaps try those? Mine have always had no detectable smell except after I bath them, then they smell “doggy” for a day or so. Here are a couple of ones I looked up but I have never tried any. https://www.chewy.com/natures-miracle-spring-waters/dp/108468 https://www.chewy.com/tropiclean-deep-cleaning-deodorizing/dp/128836 What kind of smell / odor?
  • Flakey skin…

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    19
    0 Votes
    19 Posts
    8k Views
    M
    Hi All, Thought i'd give you a little update! My lil lady had her food changed from Eukanuba medium pup to Royal Canin Mini (she's a very small basenji and doubt she'll get bigger than 10k when fully grown so thought this one best) I also bought her a Pet Head shampoo 'Royal Treatment' with oatmeal and aloe. She loves her new food and never leaves a crumb now, has a bath once every two weeks (instead of every week) and has a treat of sardines or yogurt every couple of days. Her skin is much better, little flaking and her coat looks much better now. Thank you guys for all the advice!
  • Cicular skin rash

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    tanzaT
    @Burma: they said that the vet did do a skin scraping, i dont recall them saying for mites. she eats beneful healthy radiance dry dog food-we thought that could help her skin stuff… You might want to try a better quality food and one without any grains, there are a number of them. And you should check and make sure that she was checked for mites. If you call your Vet they should have it on her records.
  • Scratching and Bare Skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    MaxBooBooBearM
    A visit to the vet will be worthwhile. Skin problems can be difficult to resolve. My two actually have a dermatologist now that my vet referred me to to try to figure out why their skin isn't clearing up after two months of treatment. My regular vet did skin scrapings to check for things like mites (which they don't have). Mine are getting more skin scrapings next week to be cultured to see what exact bacteria is there and check for something like ringworm.
  • Itchy skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    24
    0 Votes
    24 Posts
    14k Views
    lvossL
    Also what kind of filter are you using? We use the allergen filters by 3M and they do make a difference for husband who has had allergies all his life.