Dry skin in pets – Tips and Treatment options

The frequently occurring dry skin of animals can be treated with simple home remedies. Below you will find self-help measures for dry skin in dogs, cats and horses.

In the initial stage, it might still be easy to handle, but later, when the itching leads to real skin problems, it will be difficult. Dry skin usually indicates a health problem of your animal, and usually means that it does not get all the nutrients it needs for healthy skin.

Scratching

Scratching can indicate dry skin or parasites.

Another cause of the dry skin of a dog might be that you bathe him too often. The chemicals in the shampoo that you use for the dog wash, could strip the natural moisture of the skin. Thereby it is dry. Fortunately, this condition can be corrected with the following simple home remedies. Read how to treat dry skin in dogs, cats and horses and what home remedies there are.

Home remedies for dry skin

The following resources are useful for treating the dry skin of dogs, cats and horses, if the condition is not too bad. If you believe that your pet’s skin is too dry and it is affected by acute itching, seek immediate veterinarian advise. He will give your pet the proper medicine.

Use a special shampoo for dry skin of dogs, cats or horses. Just like our skin tends to dry out in winter, this also applies to the skin of pets. Don´t bathe your dog too often in the winter, and use a shampoo that was made especially for the species. This ensures that his skin no longer dries out more than necessary.

Stroke your pet often. If you pat the animal often, it promotes the distribution of the natural oil on the skin. Thus, the skin is kept moist. You should also often brush the fur to ensure this distribution. By brushing you also rid your pet of scaly skin and promote the formation of new healthy skin.

Optimize the diet of your cat, dog or horse. As already mentioned, the health problems of dometstic animals often result from a deficient diet. So if you notice dry skin in your pet, one of the easiest home remedies, it optimizing the diet. Give your pet quality ​​food, which improves its overall health, skin and fur.

Give a teaspoon of olive oil or flaxseed oil into the food, it has been proven support for dry skin. Flaxseed oil consists of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are a good nutrient for healthy skin.

Try a bath or mask of oatmeal, depending on the animal. Dog health experts recommend to give the dog a 15 minute gelatinous oatmeal bath because it relieves the itching, which is usually the result of dry skin. A cat would probably not allow a bath, and a horse is too big too have a whole oatmeal bath, however giving cats and horses an oatmeal body ´mask´ or scrub will help reduce the itching of the dry skin.

Find and fight the cause of dry skin in dogs, cats and horses. Sometimes dry skin is caused by the infestation of parasites. For example if you find dry skin on the ears of your pet, he probably has mites. This causes the itching and the associated dry skin. Dip a cotton ball in mineral oil and spread it on the infected area to get rid of the mites.

Put olive oil on the affected areas. Normally, you will only notice dry skin in one place and not all over the body. Many people notice, for example, dry patches only on the nose of their pet, without regard to any other disease. This can be easily treated by dipping a cotton swab in olive oil and applying it on the affected area. Do this as often as necessary.

These tips for the treatment of dry skin in dogs, cats and horse are very simple and easy to follow. As mentioned above, you should consult your veterinarian if you notice dry skin in your pet and the treatment using home remedies is not successful. In some cases, dry skin and other skin diseases in dogs, cats and horses can be a symptom of other health problems. Too dry skin also attracts fleas and other insects that can aggravate the condition yet. Treat the problem therefore immediately if you notice it, either with the presented home remedies or by a veterinarian.