Dandruff - just plain old dandruff - question

[WVGSD]

Does anyone have a shampoo or other preparation that you can recommend for an adult GSD with just plain old dandruff? This is a four year old adult male that I rescued in December after he was seized from his owner for neglect/abandonment. He is now at an appropriate weight, has been neutered, is eating well and looks great except for the dandruff.

I show another breed of dog and also foster for rescues too. My grooming arsenal is pretty sophisticated and none of my other personal dogs is having any skin issues. They all get a high omega-3 fish oil capsule in their kibble/meal each day and are groomed on a regular basis. The two rescued dogs (my adopted GSD and the foster) also both get a zinc tablet daily as well.

They have been bathed in a gentle shampoo and their coats have been conditioned with a wheat germ oil (looks like Crisco) conditioner that is dissolved in warm water for a "warm oil treatment". Both dogs look and seem to feel great, however, I can't seem to get past the dandruff that comes up as soon as I touch them with a comb or brush.

Suggestions?

Shannon
mom to Max - rescued GSD - December 2010
foster mom to Prince - senior English Springer Spaniel

[valreegrl]

What are you feeding? Besides the supplements.....

I wonder if it will go away with good quality food and him blowing his coat. Maybe the grooming brought all the dead follicles to the surface and they just need to slough off.

[Stosh]

Maybe daily brushing would help remove the flakes

[bunchoberrys]

Groomers secret- Head and Shoulders. For real. I usually would use oatmeal based or tea tree based shampoos for my clients pets. But on the severity of the dandruff, head and shoulders hands down, works better than most of the dog products out there. Question: does he have an oily coat but still have dandruff? Pre-wash him with Dawn dish detergent. Its a degreaser, and it will help remove all the oils and dirt that have built up on the coat and skin. Very important to have the skin and hair totally clean when you use the dandruff shampoo. Make sure the coat is rinsed thoroughly before you apply the shampoo. When you apply the shampoo really work it in well, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Unfortunately, people shampoo up the dog and rinse immediately, and that does not allow the shampoo to do its job. Don't apply conditioner, it will hinder the ingredients in the dandruff shampoo. Good Luck!

[WVGSD]

Max is eating Taste of the Wild Roasted Fowl - so his food is good quality. He does not have a greasy coat and is not truly blowing coat at this point; just a moderate level of shedding. His coat is the typical short stock coat and it glistens and has a good texture. There is no pyoderma and no seborrhea either. He gets a daily brushing and this is when all of the dandruff flakes appears, making him look awful.

I will try the Head and Shoulders shampoo. Thanks very much.

Shannon

[natalie559]

There is an oily and dry form of seborrhea. If the H and S doesn't work I would try one of the shampoos for seborrhea, they work great!

[DanteC.]

We have a 10 week old GSD... We feed him "Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Canine Formula with Roasted Lamb." Dry Food, which we hear is high in protein and low in Grains.
BUT for the last week we have noticed him have dandruff. What can it be? shampoo? I don't think it's his food, (but i can be wrong)....how can i make it go away? Thanx

[spidermilk]

Originally Posted by DanteC.

We have a 10 week old GSD... We feed him "Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Canine Formula with Roasted Lamb." Dry Food, which we hear is high in protein and low in Grains.
BUT for the last week we have noticed him have dandruff. What can it be? shampoo? I don't think it's his food, (but i can be wrong)....how can i make it go away? Thanx

Can't answer your question, but wanted to tell you that Taste of the Wild (which is a great food!) is not recommended for large breed puppies because of the inappropriate Calcium/Phosphorous levels. There are a few grain free foods that are suitable for large breed puppies but TOTW is not one of them. Look into it...

[onyx'girl]

Dante, puppies will have a bit of danderuff...especially just before and during the coat change(starts around 12-14 weeks) There are only a few puppy food brands on the market that have the proper cal/phos ratio. Orijen, Acana and Wellness super5mix large breed puppy. Raw feeding when done correctly is a perfect balance.

[Ken Clean-Air System]

Originally Posted by DanteC.

We have a 10 week old GSD... We feed him "Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Canine Formula with Roasted Lamb." Dry Food, which we hear is high in protein and low in Grains.
BUT for the last week we have noticed him have dandruff. What can it be? shampoo? I don't think it's his food, (but i can be wrong)....how can i make it go away? Thanx

Taste of the Wild offers two formulas for puppies. There is Pacific Stream Puppy (a fish based grain-free kibble) and High Prairie Puppy (a venison/bison based grain-free kibble). Either of them would be a more appropriate food for your pup. The Pacific Stream has a slightly lower calcium level than the High Prairie, but they both have calcium and phosphorus levels that work well for large breed puppies. We are currently feeding our 20 week old puppy the Pacific Stream Puppy formula and she is doing great on it.