I have an 8 year old sheltie he is tall 18" h.Duncan is blue merle with no brown on face or legs but he has dry skin looks like scaly flakes. I brush him but I just can not get rid of it. Does anyone knows of either a pill or liquid I can give in his food to help with this ,also 6 mos ago he got a lump on his leg the vet said it was nothing bot know he has on on the inside of his other leg up high and on his back by his right hip. Does anyone else had this trouble with their Shelties?Duncan is a little overweight about 5 or 6 pounds.Duncan will ,lose a lot of it this coming summer .please help .his papers say blue merle but he has no brown just white and black and gray(looks like a bi-blue)
I have an 8 year old sheltie he is tall 18" h Dry Skin and Lumps showing up
- Thread starter Duncan09
- Start date
Caro
Moderator
The lumps could be fatty lumps that often develop with age. The vet can take a needle biopsy to test if they are fatty and if you are worried I'd suggest getting that done.
Have you had a scraping done of the skin flakes to make sure it isn't a bacterial infection that needs antibiotics?
He may have a food allergy so I'd suggest an elimination diet. Food allergies often develop as a dog gets older. My boy is sensitive to chicken and turkey and they are in lots of commercial products and it's a fairly common allergy. You need to find a protein source that he hasn't had before and then keep him on that diet for 3 months and see if it has improved. If you give commercial food that is easily done - there are many vet diets you could try and some shop ones. I used Wellness Simple salmon and potato and I also cooked fish and potato meals.
Do you bathe him? My 10 year old male has had skin problems for the last 2 years that I'm having trouble pinning down. But I do know it's so much better after I give him a bath with special sensitive skin formula. I have Plush Puppy sensitive skin and recently started using one I got from the vet, which has been great. If the skin flakes are localised you can rub in some baby oil or sensitive skin conditioner.
If it's really bad, adding something to the diet may help a little, but if it's really bad, unless he has a deficiency, it's unlikely to cure it.
There was a recent thread by another member on dry flaky skin - have a look in the health section.
Have you had a scraping done of the skin flakes to make sure it isn't a bacterial infection that needs antibiotics?
He may have a food allergy so I'd suggest an elimination diet. Food allergies often develop as a dog gets older. My boy is sensitive to chicken and turkey and they are in lots of commercial products and it's a fairly common allergy. You need to find a protein source that he hasn't had before and then keep him on that diet for 3 months and see if it has improved. If you give commercial food that is easily done - there are many vet diets you could try and some shop ones. I used Wellness Simple salmon and potato and I also cooked fish and potato meals.
Do you bathe him? My 10 year old male has had skin problems for the last 2 years that I'm having trouble pinning down. But I do know it's so much better after I give him a bath with special sensitive skin formula. I have Plush Puppy sensitive skin and recently started using one I got from the vet, which has been great. If the skin flakes are localised you can rub in some baby oil or sensitive skin conditioner.
If it's really bad, adding something to the diet may help a little, but if it's really bad, unless he has a deficiency, it's unlikely to cure it.
There was a recent thread by another member on dry flaky skin - have a look in the health section.
ghggp
Moderator
I agree at that age fatty lumps are a possibility at his age! My boy Chance had them when he reached that age! The vet can stick a needle in the lump and look at the cells under the microscope to confirm!
He also had flaky skin and it turned out to be a thyroid issue. He was on medication for the rest of his life.
Good luck! Keep us updated.
He also had flaky skin and it turned out to be a thyroid issue. He was on medication for the rest of his life.
Good luck! Keep us updated.
Calliesmom
Moderator
Jocu is only 4 and has a lipoma (fatty lump)- it is on his neck and doesn't feel like one but the vet checked it and that's what the results were.
My boy gets flaky skin in the winter when the electric heat is on. If it's mild you could try adding coconut or salmon oil to your dog's food. That's what our vet reccomends. If it's more severe then you should see your vet to rule out any kind of skin infection or allergy as the other posters so rightly said. Good luck!
I will in March his visit, also I notice his fur is thin in the middle lower back ,it's thinner there than any other place. I am surprise that the vet didn't notice or say anything about it last fall on his check up. but he had one lump and she told me not to worry but it did get bigger and I've notice two more .My vet said she touch it and said it look like a fatty cyst.my car broke down this Jan. So I only live 15 mins walk from the vets .I will take him in next month.I live in Mass. But will let everyone how it all comes out.Duncan is my baby and I do have a hard time realizing he will be 8 in May.Thank all of you for your help