Dandruff isn’t always a case of dry skin in dogs. From fungal infections to allergies and disease, Fido’s flaky skin can be a symptom of more serious problems. Dogs with dandruff often display symptoms from itching, licking and scabbing to balding and thick or calloused skin. Alongside his dry or oily flakes, these are symptoms of inflammation and it is important to understand their cause to treat the condition effectively.

 Dandruff can be a red flag that Fido is experiencing some serious inflammation and one common culprit is allergies. Whether he’s reacting to something in his diet or the surrounding environment, your pet’s flaky skin is a telltale sign that something is awry. If you suspect your pet’s dandruff is caused by his diet, talking to your veterinarian about a special diet is the best way to improve his skin condition. If, after eliminating high-risk ingredients such as wheat, corn, soy, rice and beet pulp, his skin improves, you should continue following the diet to ensure Fido stays healthy. Environmental allergens such as dust, pollen or mold are more difficult to treat, but can be improved by several measures. Give your dog more frequent baths with a soothing shampoo to remove irritants from his skin and reduce allergens in the home by vacuuming weekly, keeping windows closed, and washing your dog’s bedding regularly. 

If allergies are not the source of Fido’s flaky skin, fungal or bacterial infections may be the culprit. These infections irritate the skin, causing it to dry out and shed excessively. Some endocrine disorders such as Hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease can also cause dandruff, as does infection by parasites. Other common medical causes of dandruff in dogs include mites, which cause Cheyletiellosis or “walking dandruff” and requires weekly treatments with a mite-eradicating dip to treat. If you suspect any of these are the source of your pet’s dandruff, take him to the veterinarian for an examination to diagnose the problem.

 Of course, dandruff is often just a symptom of dry skin, especially during the winter months. Be sure to bathe and groom your pet more frequently when dandruff is present to keep him clean, remove potential contaminants and stimulate oil production in his skin. You may also consider giving your companion supplements such as fish oil, zinc and vitamins A and E to nurture his skin and immune system. Even stress can lead to dandruff, so do your best to minimize changes in your dog’s life and eliminate anxiety-inducing events. You can shop for pet oils or sprays that help replenish fluid in your dog’s dry skin and even invest in a humidifier to keep Fido’s skin supple during the dry winter months.

All dog owners have felt frustrated when their pets stop and smell during walks, but research is pointing to the benefits of this activity. Many pet parents have experienced frustration when their curious companions stop to sniff every five steps during walks. However, research is showing that allowing dogs to exercise their noses may be just as important as the physical activity gained from walking.

 Most dogs like to stop and smell when they when they are on the go, and this makes sense: Not only do our canine companions have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses—compared to the roughly six million humans have—but they also use this keen sense of smell to gather important information about their surroundings. Dogs communicate partly through chemicals, so they pick up a lot of information about their peers through smell. Giving him time to stop and sniff, then, is truly allowing your dog to understand his environment. Forcing him to forgo this behavior, on the other hand, may be akin to sensory deprivation, as dogs use their noses to determine what other animals have visited a particular spot, how large they are, if a female is in heat, and other social cues. Allowing your pet to sniff other animals’ markings may ease introductions on the street, too, as Fido has already had a chance to “meet” his fellow canine through smell.

 If you are concerned about striking the right balance between exercise and nose-to-the-ground time during walks, you can try an experiment with your pet. First, take him on a walk and allow only a small amount of time to stop and sniff. Another day, take your dog on a walk and give him ample time to smell his surroundings. Compare his energy levels after both walks and adjust his smell time accordingly to help your pet strike the right balance of burning mental and physical energy. Another option some pet parents choose to explore is nosework, which kicks Fido’s tracking abilities into high gear. Nosework trains dogs to sniff out a piece of meat, cheese or other tasty morsel, allowing your pet to exercise his keen sense of smell in a problem-solving scenario that activates both his body and brain. By playing this game of olfactory hide-and-seek, your dog engages in a natural behavior and makes independent choices that, research shows, appear to benefit his overall wellbeing.

 Whether you are walking through the park or practicing nosework, active time you spend with your pet is a chance for you to bond. By making the experience enjoyable for you both and adjusting activities according to your pet’s individual needs, you can strengthen the relationship you share while improving Fido’s quality of life. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to giving your dog adequate time to sniff during walks, allowing him to stop and smell can significantly improve his experience.

Many dogs suffer from seasonal allergies, but science is shedding some light on a supplement that can help relieve Fido’s itchy skin: omega-3 fatty acid. Thousands of dogs suffer from atopic dermatitis, a skin condition often linked to pollens, molds and other environmental allergens, especially during the warmer months of the year. Left untreated, this minor skin condition can lead to major infections due to itching, scratching and open wounds, so it’s important to treat dermatitis at its source. Fortunately, science is shedding some light on how we can help our canine companions combat this inflammatory skin condition. Pet food has come a long way in recent years, but most dogs still don’t get the omega-3 fatty acids they need through their diets. Dogs can’t product these carbon chains on their own, so it’s important they get omega-3s such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in their diet. Pets deficient in these unsaturated fats have been found to experience more frequent sensitivity to allergens, leading to excess itching. By supporting your pet’s immune system, omega-3 helps combat allergic reactions—but not all omegas are created equal. Omega-3 comes from many sources including flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnut oil, and soybean oil, but this form of the molecule, called alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, is not readily useable by dog’s bodies. Instead, it’s much more efficient to provide pets with omega-3 in the form of EPA and DHA, found primarily in cold-water fish such as salmon and some types of algae. Another source of these readily available omega-3 fatty acids is krill, a tiny sea creature. Krill oil has the benefit of being environmentally sustainable, as it’s lower on the food chain than fish, and lower levels of toxins that can bioaccumulate further up the food chain.
 There are, of course, hang ups no matter what type of omega-3 supplement you chose. The dose of omega-3 needed to treat health conditions in dogs has not been established with any degree of certainty, so choosing the right dose for your pet can be a guessing game at best. Fortunately, omega-3s are incredibly safe in moderate doses, so most pet owners don’t need to worry about feeding Fido too much of the beneficial fatty acids. It’s also important to find an omega product that has been preserved to prevent oxidation, which leads to rancid oils. In many omega-3 products, it is also important to find out what method manufacturers use to remove mercury that can bioaccumulate in fish. Whatever type of supplement you choose for your pet should be high-quality and list the amount of  EPA and DHA contained in the product. There is still significant research required to establish the best way to treat your dog’s dermatitis with omega-3s. However, science points more and more to the benefits of the fatty acids, as long as Fido is receiving a high-quality product to supplement his food.