My Dog is Itchy

[evelyna]

My dog seems to be itchy. I shampooed him with some kind of black coat shampoo.
I cannot comb him because his hair is so coarse.
I think it may be the water here because it dries my hair too. When I shampooed my dog before his hair did not come out so rough.
He seemed so nice and soft when he came from the groomer. Even though he did not seem to enjoy it much.
I watched the television show "Dog Whisperer" I think it is awesome. I appreciate the help all have given me here.

[crestie_rsq]

Try one of the many awesome products from Eqyss...I swear by them for not only the dogs but myself. www.eqyss.com I suggest you go look/read about the products at their website, but you can get the products cheaper from www.revivalanimal.com (SUPER FAST SHIPPING...I placed an order on Tuesday a.m. and had the product in Thursday's mail) or www.petedge.com (but they have a $50 min. order or they'll tack on a $14.99 handling charge).

You might also try adding Missing Link, fish oil capsules or some other nutritional supplement to his daily diet to help the skin & coat. I've tried many different supplements, but I always seem to come back to Missing Link.

I, personally, would give the dog another bath with a product like Pantene's smooth & silky shampoo/conditioner.

[evelyna]

I was told all human products were bad for a dog. They said the skin and hair is not the same as ours.
I have often wondered how the hair of the show dogs is so nice.
I like the websites.
Someone told me the dog gets enough vitamins in his food.
Is there a test that will show what vitamins and minerals the dog is lacking?

[crestie_rsq]

I know many people who use human products on their dogs, but yes, their pH levels are different than ours and allegedly repeated use can break the hair shaft. I, however, have dogs with hair not fur, but I do know many show people who swear by Pantene and Biolage products. It will not hurt your dog to use a human product every now and then, especially in a special circumstance such as this where the color enhancing shampoo severely dried his coat. If it dried his coat out that much, imagine what it did to his skin.

I highly recommend the Eqyss products. They are afforadable, and you'll never need a color enhancing shampoo again. And did I mention the stuff smells FABULOUS, a very clean, fresh scent!!!

I don't know about testing for lack of specific vitamins. Just get him on a healthy nutritional supplement or multi-vitamin (although I prefer the supplements) such as Missing Link. You'll see results from the Missing Link in as little as 3 weeks.

[DiggityDogs]

It could also have something to do with what type of food he eats. What is he eating and how long has he been eating it? I agree- missing link is good. I personally use fish oil caps and kelp tablets in addition to their food, just because I have 3 dogs, 2 of which are large and eat me out of house and home and missing link is not cheap! I used it when i only had one though.

[evelyna]

for sensitive skin. He seemed to not be as itchy.
I started giving him Innova because a lot of people told me this was a better food for him.
He enjoys the little pellets. He got bored with it so I started serving some wellness mixed in with it.
I was feeding him twice a day. He was leaving the breakfast. So now I only feed him at dinner.
The water is rough here. Think I need a softener.

[tftmom]

Do you mean by course that you can not get the comb through the dogs coat? If so that is a big part of your problem. He is either matted or has packed undercoat. The skin can't breathe if the coat is in this condition causing itchiness or hot spots. You must comb the dog out completely before bathing. You can not rinse all the shampoo out otherwise. If I have misunderstood and your dog just has coarse feeling hair try using a balsam conditioner. Yes, you can use human products on dogs. They have a wide range in their ph balance and you will not hurt the dog. A lot of us that show dogs use human products such as Clairol Hair-so-New and balsam conditioners. So do professional groomers. I groomed professionally for over 20 years. and I used Hair-so-New on all my full coated clients like Shih Tzu's, Yorkies, Maltese, etc.

[FurrEverFriends]

Yes, dogs PH for skin/hair/fur is very different than ours and you should ALWAYS use a conditioner after you shampoo. Shampooing strips the hairs/skins natural oils and they need to be replaced otherwise the skin just keeps getting drier and the dogs have no protection against the elements.

My company uses Iv San Bernard products (www.dogmawestcoast.com)exclusively and they work wonders for allergy dogs and dry, itchy skin. Most of the time, dogs with those symptoms are just not getting the right grooming and that's why they are so uncomfortable. Yes good, high quality food is also an important part too. We've "cured" so many allergy, skin conditions that have baffled vets for years. It's just in the products and don't let anyone tell you differently and PLEASE, never use human products again or Dawn dishwashing detergent like some show people and groomers do. It causes so much damage and harm to the pets.

[pitlover]

how much itching is normal? Lili has very short hair, and she itches several times a day. Sometimes she gets pink marks for a little while after itching but they go away pretty quickly. Is this normal, or should I think about changing her diet? I like her shampoo and conditioner, my vet recommended it and I don't think there's a problem with it.

[d'tails]

[QUOTE=FurrEverFriends]Yes, dogs PH for skin/hair/fur is very different than ours and you should ALWAYS use a conditioner after you shampoo. Shampooing strips the hairs/skins natural oils and they need to be replaced otherwise the skin just keeps getting drier and the dogs have no protection against the elements.
Plus you get into a vicious circle. Human shampoo strips the oils and body produces morereally upsets the balance.
I use Iv San Bernard products as well. I would also add flax seed oil. Really helps.

[BelovedJuggernaut]

I second Eqyss products. I use them on my dogs & horse. I have never seen my dogs coat as clean after washing with it. It is surprisingly gentle on their skin too.

[shoffee]

Boy oh boy do I L-O-V-E the Eqyys avocado spray-on conditioner! The other products are great, too! And they smell so good and fresh!

Also, be sure you get all the shampoo rinsed OUT of the coat. If you're having trouble getting a comb through, odds are good that there is still shampoo left in there. Oh, and if you can't get a comb through I agree with the above post--that could be part of the problem. What kind of comb are you trying to get through?