A Question

[if_i_were_u]

Hello,
I was wondering if it was ok to bath my golden lab with head and shoulders. He has bad dandreff and dry skin. If you had any suggestions, let me know please.

Joe

[Slannesh]

Couple of things,

1) Reptile forum :) Most of us know SFA about mammals.

2) Head and shoulders can be hard on people scalp, don't even wanna know what it'll do to a dog. Talk to your vet about the dog's skin condition and use the appropriate treatment after talking to your vet.

So no, it's probably not OK to use on your dog and it's entirely possible that it's not dandruff at all. Talk to a vet.

and just in case it wasn't clear yet, talk to a vet ;)

[HeatherK]

Golden Lab? You mean Yellow Lab I think ;)

I agree with Slannesh. You need to look at this dog's diet, forget the dandruff shampoo. Make sure it is on a good food (I would stay away from grocery store brands). Try supplementing the dog's food for coat and skin. It simply sounds very dry. I used ground flaxseed in my dog's food for a while when I noticed her skin was dry from the winter.

If bettering the diet doesn't work, you might run to run it by your vet. Not only is it unsightly but can be uncomfortable for the dog. It sounds like you've just noticed this, so it can probably be helped. I know my cat always has had dry skin, that's just the way she is.

[Dani33]

One of my dogs has dry skin as well. It was recommended to me by my vet and groomer to add a teaspoon of flax seed oil to her food. It helped. The only down side to this was that the flax seed oil has a short shelf life once opened.

[mykee]

Do not use Head and Shoulders on your Lab. That's not cool, your dog had dry skin because he does not get enough essential oils in his diet. Ask your vet about a product called Veterol-X next time you're in. It's a mixture that contains all of the essential oils and nutrients that your dog may be missing from his food. The great thing is is you just drip a tablespoon or so on your dogs food in the morning, and he'll go nuts for it. I've been using it on my dog for 2 years now, and never any dry skin, and her coat shines like a mofo.

[BoidKeeper]

I give Louie a little vit E in his food to help with his dry skin.
Cheers,
Trevor

[lostwithin]

if_i_were_u ,
as everybody else has said, no head and shoulders should not be used on your dog.

Heather K,

Golden Lab? You mean Yellow Lab I think

Although Most people who say golden lab are in fact talking about a yellow lab, or a Golden retriever, there is in fact a line of "golden lab” They are similar too the yellow lab but a much deeper golden color then the usual Blond in a yellow lab. I myself own a "golden lab".

If_i_were_u, I am interested too know if your dog is truly a golden lab, or in fact a more common yellow lab, or golden retriever, simply because I very rarely hear of people with actual golden labs.

Devon

[if_i_were_u]

Devon,
I was told he was a golden lab. I will scan some pics onto my computer so u can judge them. And thanks all for the info. I will try the flaxseed oil.

Joe

[Tim and Julie B]

There are also several brands or aloe and oatmeal shampoos for furry pets that work wonders for dry skin problems.

Julie

[Linds]

In addition to simple dry skin, dandruff can be caused by some types of mites (too small for our eyes to catch) and skin infections. I would recommend a trip to the vet to rule these out first, as they are fairly common sources of dandruff in cats and dogs.

Originally posted by Slannesh


1) Reptile forum :) Most of us know SFA about mammals.


Actually you will find that the people in this forum are experienced in keeping and working with a wide range of animals ;)

[if_i_were_u]

We have tried the vet. We have taken him to 2 different vets. One says it's allergies, the other just dry skin. If it were mites, do you know any way of taking care of them. He has had this for 2 years and we've tried everything from medications, to baths. This is also costing me a fortune. Thanks for all the help.

Joe

[mykee]

Overbathing your Lab could also very well be part of the problem. Labs, more than most dogs need certain oils in their skin, and if you overbath them (more than 2-3 times a year, yes a year) you may be depleting him of the essential oils necessary.

[marisa]

I have always thought a "Golden Lab" was a cross between a Yellow Lab and a Golden Retriever.

I would try what Mykee and Trevor suggested. Most skin troubles are either allergies, or a diet problem. Are you adding some form of essiental fatty oils to his diet?

Look over these pages:
http://idid.essortment.com/dogdandruff_rdie.htm

http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=46548

http://groups.google.ca/groups?q=dog%20with%20dry%20skin&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wg

Marisa