Cushings and Dry Skin in Dogs

by Sandy Vaught
(Ardmore, OK)

My Corgi has been diagnosed with Cushing's and is on medication. I keep him shaved in the summer months as he gets so hot. What can I do as he seems to have dry flaky skin? Is this caused by the Cushings? I am presently giving him fish oil, should I switch to the salmon oil?

Vet Suggestion

Hi Sandy,

Skin problems are common in dogs with Cushing’s disease, so the first thing I’d want to do if your dog were my patient would be to make sure that we were doing a good job regulating that disease. Dog’s with Cushing’s disease are immunosuppressed so are at greater risk for infections, including those that affect the skin. Running a skin scraping to check for mites, skin cytology to rule out bacterial and yeast infections, and a fungal culture for ringworm would also be a good idea.

If these tests all came back normal, it would be reasonable to try treating your dog’s flaky skin symptomatically. I don’t think you’d notice a big difference if you switched from fish oil to pure salmon oil, but bathing him with a shampoo designed to reduce flaking followed by treatment with a topical product like Dermoscent or Duoxo Seborrhea Spot-On could help.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM