Article: Ask the Vet: ; Make sure dry skin really is problem

Q: My little longed-haired Dachshund has extremely dry skin. She just scratches all the time. I give her baths in oatmeal shampoo, put oil in her food once a week, and bought a humidifier. Is there anything else I can do?

A: I applaud all your efforts to help your little dog. An itchy dog or cat can drive pets and owners up the wall in no time. We see lots of itchy pets for lots of different reasons in this part of the country. There are a couple of things I want you to double check just to be sure this is a case of dry skin and not a case of fleas, allergies or skin infection.

The first thing to do is pet your dog the wrong way. By this I mean take your hand and go from tail to head, ...