itchy skin on pregnant dog

[Tessthepest]

i have a 6.5 week pregnant border collie, who has never had any skin problems or allergies. she has recently begun itching and chewing at herself, the skin on her lower back (near her tail) and near her hips is dry and somewhat flaky. is this maybe pregnancy realted or something else? i doubt it is flea related because she is on revolution and i have not noticed any fleas on her.

 

[showpug]

What are you feeding her? Diet plays a huge role in skin and coat condition. Keep her on the revolution and you should add some omega fatty acids to her diet. These are found in supplements all over the place. Examples are Grizzly Salmon Oil, Derm Caps, Lipiderm etc. They really help fight itchiness, dry flakey skin, and inflammation naturally. You can't give her meds because she is pregnant!! If she is on a cruddy food, a diet change should improve her problem and nourish her pups better

 

[Tessthepest]

i feed her Nutro natural choice food, she is on puppy food right now but usually i feed the lamb and rice. I have used this brand ever since i got her and have found it to be a great food. people always comment on how healthy her coat looks, it still does but shes scratching ALL the time.
i will try the supplements, thanks

 

[showpug]

Some people sware by Nutro and some don't, but I can tell you my experience with that food. At one point, a few years ago I fed all 3 of my dogs Nutro Lamb and Rice and at the same time I worked in a vet clinic. All 3 of my dogs within weeks of each other got a bad urinary tract infection accompanied by struvite crystals When I was at work, more and more dogs started to come in with similar cases...when I asked the owners what they were feeding, they said Nutro Lamb and Rice. My dogs never got Nutro again for that reason. Nutro is too commercial of a food for my liking. I would switch your dog to a human grade natural food like Innova or Solid Gold. These foods are safer and healthier and do wonders for a dogs coat and skin. I am not saying that the food is your sole problem, but it may play a role. There is a chance that your pooch is suffering from a seasonal allergy as well. Visit naturapet.com for some info on good food.

 

[Tessthepest]

thanks, i think i might try the innova, but just out of curiosity, do think the newer Nutro Ultra would be much better than the natural choice?

 

[Mordy]

the natural ultra is slightly better than the regular natural choie, but it is a tremendous waste of money. it's more expensive than the true premium foods made from human grade ingredients, without the same quality.

look for innova, california natural, canidae, eagle pack, solid gold, artemis or natural balance for example.

and get a good quality fish oil supplement (either from seapet.com or human supplement capsules) and give her 1000mg per 10lbs of body weight per day. not only will it help with skin and coat, but it is also very beneficial for the immune system of both mom and puppies, and it is proven to be excellent for the development of the brain in puppies - so continue this as long as the puppies are nursing and add it to their food as well later on.

 

[candy722]

I agree with you MOrdy. I can so tell the difference on TOki's coat when I fed him Nutro ultra and Innova. It went from dry hair to ultra shiny. I was impressed.

 

[bubbatd]

I agree with the fish oil .

 

[Tessthepest]

any certain type of fish oil? what about cod liver oil?

 

[Mordy]

cod liver oil is made from the liver, not from the entire body of the fish. it's not the same thing and iw ouldn't give a dog cod liver who is eating a commercial food at the same time, as it is way too high in vitamin A and D.

you want a fish oil, no matter if it is salmon oil or from another source. seapet.com makes a really good quality product that is free of contamination.