Help! My Great Dane... Health

Good Morning Everyone.

My great dane's skin get very dry during the winter and throughout the summer sometimes. I was wondering if this is something I should worry about or does Great Dane skin usually go dry? He itches alot, and we think he has some kind of skin problem. Anyone know a homemade remedy to moisturize NY dog's skin?

Best thing I can tell you is get in touch with his breeder or if he's a rescue dog then a Great Dane organization they will be able to help you with your dogs skin problem.
As skin problems can be related to variety of issues like grass, food, fleas, weather conditions, infections, the list goes on & on

We adopted him from an Amish breeder, and all of his family health history is great! I am pretty sure, is skin dries up when its dry out (so all winter) and then when it gets hot out he breaks out in rash from humidity. To much moisture in his skin I guess. I have been putting 100% olive oil on his skin.

@6JRT's

Not sure that olive oil is the correct oil to be using, I think but could be wrong, but coconut oil might be more suitable

Ok I will do some more research. I think he might be allergic to wheat germ. Do you know of any dog with that a allergy?

Olive oil is fine and can be used externally or on food, but will not cure problems if there is an underlying cause, so a vet visit would be best.

@GsdSlave

I will try and take him to the vet soon. He isnt showing bad signs of dry skin since I have been rubbing him down in Olive Oil. Is it possible for a dog to be allergic to Wheat Germ.

I have heard of wheat allergy - not specifically a wheat germ allergy.
If you suspect that your dog might be allergic to any cereals, the easiest method would be to switch a grain free diet. Choose one with a protein source that he has not had before, duck, fish, or lamb for example. Allow six weeks for a fair trial, and be careful with his treats and biscuits too!

He eats Diamond Brand Lamb/Chicken Large Breed Food. Its is expensive and specially made for Danes and Mastiffs. Ok that sounds reasonable, I do find dog food that's wheat free??

There are quite a few grain free brands. I am in the UK and the selection over here is going to be different to yours. I would try googling grain free dog foods, or fish and potato dog foods, and see which brands are the most suitable.

@CaroleC
Thank you for the advice. I've never had a dog allergic to something, I will try doing that.

It's usually gluten that causes the problem, so if you can't find grain free, gluten free may be an option.

My girl is allergic to chicken so we did an elimination diet starting with a salmon and potato food so using all novel protiens (ie foods she hadn't had before to take all the current foods out of her diet). After 6 weeks, we introduced one food at a time.

With chicken, within a day she was in pain and pacing and a repeat some months later gave the same result. Now, of course, we never ever give her any chicken whatsoever

Thank you for that information @Chris B. We actually are feeding him wheat free food, so I'm not sure. Maybe its just a hereditary thing, but the breeder we got him from has no trouble with his dogs. He always had dry skin, especially in winter when the air is dry.

I wonder if your dog's skin needs a moisturizer rather than fat/oil. There are moisturizing preparations for dogs, so perhaps your vet can point you in the right direction.

Great Danes are a Mastiff breed, and not sure who told you it was made for them, it is just has a better calcium and phosphate balance for the growth of large and giant breeds, as there is no need for a puppy stage food for them.
Go to your vet.

Also please never by a dog from the Amish again, Worst dog breeders on the planet.

Good advice @LMost. You are quite right, there are too many 'could it be's', and the vet is the best person to diagnose what is going on here.

I did wonder about the Amish connection, especially as the dog is so small for his breed. We get to see very little coverage over here, so are not able to judge how widespread the problem is.

Amish who are dog breeders do it strictly for money, nothing else.

To many forget they believe that those who do not know how to spend there money wisely should not have that money, so there is no sin in cheating you.

99% of animal control and law enforcement will not waste there time dealing with them, because the community will tie such matters up in court for far to long, so they ignore them.

They are by far some of the worst case puppy mills in the world.

@LMost
@CaroleC
It is designed for Large Breeds, and he had also had a puppy diet. But now he is 3 and on an adult diet. And this Amish breeder is different, he is our fairrier and does dental work for the horses my friend owns. And he only has 2 males and 2 females. They all have great temperaments, and were $500 each for the puppies. He said 'no matter the color, they'll always be $500. Because its what's on the heart that counts, also he is good friend of a few people I know. He loves his little Danes.

Make sure he gets enough oils/fatty acid in his diet. The winter weather can really dry out skin so you need to get ahead of it. You can apply oils directly to the skin to help moisturize it. There are also natural products made just for dogs as topical treatments.