Does fish oil help seborrhea in dogs
Seborrhea in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatment
Unless you have a hairless dog breed, your dogs skin is often hidden by hair or fur. But for all breeds, skin health is a factor in your dogs overall well-being. Canine skin disorders like seborrhea, also known as seborrheic dermatitis, can lead to flaking and greasy skin. Learn how to recognize canine seborrhea and how to treat seborrhea in dogs.
What Is Seborrhea in Dogs?
Seborrhea is caused by a defect in skin keratinization (the formation and turnover of skin cells). It happens when the body produces too many skin cells and/or too much sebum (a naturally-occurring, oily substance).
Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Charlie Pye, DVM, DVSc, Diplomate ACVD, says there are two types of seborrhea in dogs. Seborrhea sicca is characterized by increased scale formation dandruff. Seborrhea oleosa is characterized by excessive greasiness of the coat and skin. Both types can be found occurring together on the same patient.
What Causes Seborrhea in Dogs?
Primary Seborrhea
Primary seborrhea is an inherited disorder where the cells in the top layer of skin, known as the epidermis, multiply excessively. Dr. Pye explains that primary seborrhea is often seen in specific dog breeds, including Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, West Highland White Terriers, Basset Hounds, Irish Setters, Doberman Pinschers, Chinese Shar-Pei, Dachshunds, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs.
Not all dogs of these breeds will be affected, Dr. Pye says, and many of these breeds are predisposed to diseases leading to secondary seborrhea. Therefore, a seborrheic individual of one of these breeds should not just be assumed to have primary seborrhea. Secondary causes of seborrhea are far more common.
Secondary Seborrhea
Secondary seborrhea occurs when a separate disorder, rather than cell multiplication in the epidermis, causes seborrhea in dogs. The secondary disorder could be anything that creates skin inflammation, such as canine allergies, external dog parasites, endocrine disorders, immune-mediated disease (conditions where the immune system may attack the bodys cells), or nutritional deficiencies.
Skin inflammation can lead to increased skin cell turnover, as well as changes to skin fats and fatty compounds called lipids. In particular, lipids within the skin may begin to overproduce. And all that results in a seborrheic appearance to the dog.
Whether the dogs have primary or secondary seborrhea, Dr. Pye says they should always be examined for secondary bacterial or yeast infections, as these conditions can be found commonly in seborrheic dogs.
What Are the Signs of Seborrhea in Dogs?
Because secondary seborrhea can be caused by so many different conditions, the signs of the disease can vary. However, the following list of symptoms may help you identify when theres reason for concern:
- Increased skin flaking, often seen as dog dandruff in their bedding
- Increased skin oiliness, meaning the coat and skin may look greasy
- Foul odors (often associated with seborrhea oleosa and caused by keratin deposits sticking to hair, but they may also be the result of secondary bacterial or yeast infections.)
- Red or inflamed skin, which may appear in areas with skin folds (such as around the armpits or thighs)
- Hair loss
- Bumps or pimples, which can indicate a secondary infection
- Itching in dogs, which may be caused by a secondary issue such as allergies
Does Puppy Seborrhea Exist?
Primary seborrhea usually begins when a dog is under 2 years of age. So puppies are not immune to seborrhea. In fact, any dog can get secondary seborrhea if they have a separate condition that causes skin inflammation.
Dr. Pye explains, Certain skin conditions are noted in puppies such as infectious diseases, parasites, and early onset allergies. If a dog was diagnosed with one of these diseases, they could have seborrhea as a clinical manifestation of this disease.
Is Seborrhea in Dogs Contagious?
Dr. Pye clarifies that seborrhea itself is not contagious. In addition, many of the diseases causing secondary seborrhea, like allergies or endocrine diseases, are also not contagious.
However, other causes of seborrhea (like certain parasites or fungal infections, including ringworm in dogs) can be contagious. If your pet is diagnosed with a contagious disease that leads to seborrhea, your vet may recommend treating other dogs in the house for that underlying condition. They may also recommend that you avoid taking your dogs to public places until the disease has been treated. If your dog has a contagious disease, use good hygiene practices to keep yourself safe, including wearing disposable gloves while handling them and washing hands thoroughly afterwards.
How Is Seborrhea in Dogs Diagnosed?
Depending on your dogs clinical signs of seborrhea, your vet might recommend a range of tests. These could include:
- Cytology (examining skin cells) to check for infection
- Skin scrapings to identify the presence of certain parasites
- Trials of parasitical medications (Some parasites are difficult to identify with scrapings, so medication trials can help rule them out as causes.)
- Blood work to rule out systemic disease in dogs (conditions that affect multiple systems or the whole body) and endocrine disease
- Food trials to rule out food allergies
- Skin biopsies to determine whether your dog has an immune-mediated disease or canine skin cancer
How Is Seborrhea in Dogs Treated?
The main treatment for secondary seborrhea involves addressing the underlying disease. Once this is treated, the seborrhea should resolve within a few months.
However, Dr. Pye says, If a patient truly has primary seborrhea, symptomatic treatment will be instituted. In the initial stages of treating secondary seborrhea, your vet may recommend treating the symptoms, as well.
According to Dr. Pye, your vet may recommend several potential seborrhea in dogs. These include:
- Bathing: Your vet will recommend either an antimicrobial shampoo or a dog shampoo aimed at removing excess sebum. Be sure to follow your vets instructions about how often to wash your dog and how long to leave the seborrhea dog shampoo on for. In the beginning, they may instruct you to bathe your dog one to two times a week. Its a good idea to avoid using very hot water, which can further dry out the skin. Also, shampoos will often need a contact time of five to 10 minutes on the skin to work best. If a dog is very greasy, your vet may recommend two dog shampoos, one to degrease the dog and another to moisturize the skin.
- Spot-on anti-seborrheic products: Spot-on anti-seborrheic products are small pipettes containing a liquid that can be applied directly to the skin once a week. They help to regulate skin turnover and the production of lipids.
- Omega fatty acids and other vitamins and supplements: Always talk to your vet before giving your dog any supplements, but they may recommend adding omega fatty acid supplements to your dogs diet, as these can decrease inflammation (in certain cases of secondary seborrhea) and moisturize the skin barrier (in cases of seborrhea sicca). Fish oils for dogs may also be helpful.
How to Treat Seborrhea in Dogs at Home
Always consult your veterinarian before starting any at-home treatments for seborrhea. Dr. Pye says, They can recommend the best possible approach for your dog, as no two cases of seborrhea are identical, and underlying disease could be present. Your veterinarian will help manage any skin disease.
If your dogs skin disease is not resolving, your veterinarian can refer you to a board-certified veterinary dermatologist who will be able to help address your dogs skin condition effectively. Board-certified dermatologists have had years of training in skin conditions and are equivalent to a human dermatologist and allergist.
With your vets approval, you can try some at-home seborrhea dog treatments, such as using medicated anti-seborrheic shampoo. A once-a-week bath for your dog with lukewarm water can also help reduce the signs. However, Dr. Pye warns that secondary seborrhea will return (even with at-home treatment) unless the underlying disease is addressed. Plus, your dog could potentially develop other clinical signs in the meanwhile.
Can Seborrhea in Dogs Be Cured?
Primary seborrhea is genetic and lifelong, and many of the diseases that lead to secondary seborrhea do not have a cure. Instead, they are chronic conditions, like allergies or endocrine disease, that require lifelong management. Therefore, in most cases, your vet may place emphasis on controlling the secondary disease so you no longer see any of the clinical signs of seborrhea. However, if the secondary seborrhea is caused by a curable condition (like the presence of parasites), your dog should be fully healed once treatment is complete.
Fish Oil for Dogs
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Fish oil is one of the best supplements to add to your dogs diet. Fish oil supports your dogs heart health, promotes a silky coat, reduces itchy and flaky skin, and can help relieve allergies and joint pain. It can even help strengthen a dogs immune system and could help them fight canine cancer.
All of this is because fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, an essential good type of fat that helps your dogs body and brain. Like humans, dogs cant produce omega-3 fatty acids on their own and must get them from their diet. If youre considering including fish oil as a part ofyour dogs nutritional routine, heres what you need to know.
What Are Fatty Acids Found in Fish Oil?
There are four types of dietary fats: trans fats, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Omega fatty acids, found in polyunsaturated fats, create important hormones that regulate blood flow and inflammation. However, they arent found naturally in the body. Omega-3 is found primarily in cold-water fish, shellfish, plant and nut oils, and flaxseed. But, your dog needs omega-3 in their diet for several reasons.
Omega-3 also helps balance out omega-6 fatty acids, commonly found in processed foods and most grains. Since many dog food manufacturers use meat from corn-fed animals or refined oil (which are high in omega-6), dogs often have an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids in their diet. Your dog ends up with too much omega-6 and not nearly enough omega-3 fatty acids. Humans (and dogs) need omega-6 fatty acids, but our modern diet often has too many. The body needs both in proper balance, and the same is true for dogs.
Why Should I Give My Dog Fish Oil?
Fish oil is a good way to give your four-legged companion the omega-3 fatty acids they need. Depending on their general health and diet, fish oil supplements may become part of a long-term plan. Or, they may just provide a temporary nutritional boost to your dogs diet.
Another benefit of fish oil is that it helps dogs across the span of their lifetimes. DHA, a component in omega-3 fatty acid, aids in the proper brain and eye development of puppies. DHA may also improve cognitive function in older dogs dealing with canine cognitive dysfunction. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can help to treatcanine arthritisand chronic kidney disease.
As with anything affecting your dogs health, talk to your veterinarian about supplementing your dogs diet with fish oils before proceeding.
How Do I Choose a Good Fish Oil for My Dog?
There are three types of fish oil on the market:
- Natural triglyceride oil, which is the most natural and easiest to absorb. However, because it isnt purified, it may contain contaminants
- Ethyl ester oil is concentrated and distilled, removing impurities. Think of it as semi-natural with high levels of important components of omega-3: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Synthetic triglyceride oil, which as the name says, is synthetic and absorbs the least easily of the three
Before choosing which type of fish oil to feed your dog, consider their breed, size, weight, and overall health. Speak with your veterinarian first as well. Over the long term, using fish oil as a supplement to a grain-based diet may deplete vitamin E, so some dogs may also ultimately require that supplement too.
TerraMax Pro Premium Liquid Omega-3 Fish Oil
The all-natural TerraMax fish oil liquid is appropriate for dogs and doesnt contain any artificial ingredients. Its guaranteed to contain at least 800 mg EPA and 525 mg DHA per serving (which support skin, fur, joints, and overall health), without the strong scent of fish. Most reviews are positive, reporting that the oil is worth the cost and works well for pets dealing with joint pain and itchy skin.
Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet
Made in the USA, this Nordic Naturals supplement is a solid source of EPA and DHA and perfect for small breed dogs. Most reviews are positive and users report that the oil leaves their pets coats silky smooth.
Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet Soft Gels
If youd rather give your pup a capsule than mix liquid into their food, this is the solution for you. This supplement is made with ingredients caught from the cleanest waters. Nordic Naturals are produced in true triglyceride form to ensure optimal absorption and results. The gels are recommended by veterinarians for dogs of all sizes and breeds. Reviewers also indicate that the gels are effective and less messy.
Care and Storage of Fish Oil
Protecting fish oil from heat, light, and air is important. Buy your fish oil in dark bottles and store it in the refrigerator. It can become rancid since they are susceptible to oxidation, so make sure to throw it away if it has an off odor.
Rather than following dosage guidelines on the package, ask your vet how much fish oil is appropriate for your dog. Make sure the amount of fish oil you give them is appropriate for their size, weight, and age.
Its difficult to feed your dog a completely natural diet. With so many processed ingredients in some of todays dog food, fish oil may be just the supplement to their diet needs. Lastly, be sure to ask your vet for advice before starting your dog on supplements, and purchase only quality products if thats the route you choose.
