My Husky has had a Dandruff issue ever since I got her, She is about 1 and half and she still has it. My breeder told me to try Dawn dish soap when she was a puppy and that did not do much... Anyone have any ideas?

Dish soap is designed to de-grease for the most part which will make the skin dry (stripping the oils) and prone to flaking.

What food is she on?

You could also supplement with a fish oil (omega-3 variety) or vitamin E. I've also had luck with a supplement called Seameal which is manufactured by Solid Gold.

Daily brushing wouldn't hurt either.

Ditto on the fish oil.
My husky had it at 16 months.
He's now almost two.
I've been giving him daily fish oil and changed his food to Taste of the Wild Pacific Salmon.
No more dandruff and his coat is noticeably glossier.

So like regular fish oil that I would take? I take fish oil every day, or is it some special Dog kind I need? She eats Diamond Chicken Flavor, its a high quality food... I had her on Eagle but it was a bit too pricey and they said Diamond was the next best thing with having meat be the first ingredient not the usual fillers and corn.

I give Frankie Omega's and it seems to help. It's a canine brand, but I think others use regular fish oil that you can take (don't quote me though). I also started using a product called epi-pet skin conditioning spray, lavender scent. It seems to be working nicely for his skin and it repels and kills fleas

I'd check out the prices on Taste of the Wild in your area. I can get a 30lb bag for $43.99 to me that's cheap but i'm not sure of diamonds pricing. TOTW is grain-free.

I give regular human grade. Generally it's cheaper as well as higher grade than the "pet" variety. Dosage is 100mg EPA/DHA per 10lbs daily. You can go over, it's just a guide. When my dogs are having coat issues or for my Border Collie with knee issues I give the therapeutic dosage which is double. Everyone also gets a 400IU vitamin E daily, but we're also on raw so not sure if that's already being added in with your kibble.

Where do you live? Climate also affects their skin. When we lived in WA our sibe never had dandruff but when we moved to FL and SC where it's hot and humid our sibe suddenly developed a dandruff problem. It's not just huskies that can be affected in this way by humidity either, other double coated breeds experience this problem as well. It is often exacerbated by going out into a humid climate or getting moisture trapped in the undercoat and then coming into a dry climate like an air conditioned house will cause the skin to get very dry and flake. I know a woman whose 2 Shelties were fine up north but when she moved to SC they developed a dandruff problem due to the climate, same as our sibe.

Food allergies can also play a part but it would have to a be a very mild allergy to have dandruff as the only reaction.

As suggested, supplementing for the skin and coat is one way to get a handle on the problem. Supplements like oils are probably most commonly used, traditionally animal based oils (like fish oil) are better than plant based oils (like olive oil). I like fish oil and extra virgin coconut oil for the skin and coat. Both are very good for the skin but I like coconut oil a little better because it has more health benefits beyond just being good for the skin. To each his own though.

Another way to help with dandruff is to use a moisturizing, soothing, or medicated shampoo. I would not use Dawn for dealing with dandruff. Instead I'd look into a natural, soothing oatmeal shampoo (and conditioner if you prefer) and if that doesn't help then you might later consider a medicated shampoo.

Lastly I find that frequently using a high velocity dryer helps minimize the amount of dandruff in the coat. It blows out the loose undercoat as well as any dead skin or particulates in the coat and at the same time ensures that no moisture is trapped in the undercoat which can make the dandruff worse.

Ok I will probably try some fish oil and a Bath...suggestions for what kind of Shampoo I should use? I live in California btw, Sacramento. It gets very hot here.

Most definitely would be partly (if not all) from the weather.

We use Earthbath shampoos. Out of their products i'd suggest the oatmeal & aloe or the tea tree & aloe. I think they have a store locator but I have seen them at petsmarts as well as petcos.

brady.law wrote:

Ok ...suggestions for what kind of Shampoo I should use?

I'd give the Tea Tree & Aloe a shot both are good skin conditioners.

http://www.earthbath.com/dogs/shampoo/pints.php

arooroomom wrote:

Most definitely would be partly (if not all) from the weather.

We use Earthbath shampoos. Out of their products i'd suggest the oatmeal & aloe or the tea tree & aloe.

I agree. I strongly recommend the Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo as well. If fleas are an issue their Tea Tree and Aloe might be a good choice also. Another one of my favorites is Bio-Groom Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner. Both Earthbath and Bio-Groom are all natural, gentle, and safe for the environment too. Another one that I like and have had good success with is Fresh 'N Clean Oatmeal and Baking Soda shampoo. I love all three and have had good results with all of them but my favorites are Earthbath and Bio-Groom.

We use the oatmeal and baking soda conditioner from Fresh N' Clean, LOVE it!

Brady,

Did the fish oil help? I live in Sacramento, too. I have 2 huskies, a 2 and a half y/o female and my boy will be 6 months old on Friday. They both eat Blue Wilderness Salmon flavor. My pup has dandruff, but my older one doesn't.

my 11 year old male named pepper has dandruff on his back, I have tried many kinds of shampoos on him (he loves baths), including the Petsmart kitty oatmeal shampoo. But nothing works and he always has it on his back..anyone got any answers?

Marlaina wrote:

my 11 year old male named pepper has dandruff on his back, I have tried many kinds of shampoos on him (he loves baths), including the Petsmart kitty oatmeal shampoo. But nothing works and he always has it on his back..anyone got any answers?

Try a product called Allergroom. Its a shampoo that cleans them but does not dry out the skin and doesn't take the protective emollient off of their fur. Id also use a spray conditioner as well. Petsmart makes one called Bounce that I have been using on Kale for a few weeks now and it works pretty well, and Earthbath makes some as well, but I don't think Petsmart carries Earthbath. Petco I believe does though.

Three shampoos that I like and have used for dandruff (not just in my sibe but on my chi girls too) are Bio-Groom Oatmeal shampoo & conditioner, Earthbath Tea Tree & Aloe shampoo, and Fresh 'n Clean Oatmeal & Baking Soda shampoo. Just my personal experience.