Very Oily Fur

[groomer]

Hello, I am a groomer and I came across two chows that had the worst fur and skin that I have ever seen. Can anyone tell me a possible solution for extremly oily fur. I tried medicated shampoo that didn't work. I also tried a degreaser shampoo with on luck. This oily is so thick on there backs that I have to shave them both. But it still is very noticeable on a very short coat. The owner has taken both dogs to the vet. and no one has a answer for the over abundance of oil in there fur. Does anyone have this problem?

[Zhuyos mom]

You can try using a diluted solution of water and "DAWN" dishwashing soap. It is what our wildlife center uses on birds and marine mammals when there are oil spills on the bay. I have used it on my chows when they accidently rub against a wall a deck that is newly painted but not dry yet. Another thing you can do is do an after rinse of water and distilled vinegar. That gets alot of the soap residue off. Keep us posted if this helps.

[Victory]

Try changing their diet. When I got my girl her fur was the same, I had to bathe her several times with this special shampoo designed to remove the oil on her skin. But I had already put her on a good quality food with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements and after about a year her skin became clear, she hasn't needed a bath since, her coat is gorgeous and full and no greasy oily skin. Chows get all kinds of skin issues from a poor quality diet. No corn, no wheat, no meat by-products, try to choose as natural a food as you can afford. Also watch their weight, an overweight dog will also have skin issues, watch the human treats, hotdogs may taste good but they aren't good for them.

[sdasilva27]

Keeta's fur is very oily. When we first got him, he itched all the time. After many vet visits, $, and WEEKLY baths, we found out that he has severe allergies to oak, dust, bahia grass and a few other things. He's started allergy injections in January and there's already less oil although he continues to itch. Specialist said he won't really get relief until being on them for 6 months (especially here in FL). He's been oily around his neck for about 2 weeks and goes to the groomer on the 24th but his last bath prior was Christmas Eve. When he does go, we use several shampoos from our vet. First, he gets a quick "get the dirt off" bath using Hylyt then the groomer massages Pyoben and Allergroom into his skin and lets it soak in for 15 mins before rinsing it off. Even with the shampoos, you've got to find the route of the problem. My vet initially thought allergies because he said they secrete more oil when they're allergic to something and I've seen a lot of chows with allergies. Also, Keeta was actually worse when his fur was really short (rescue we got him from had shaved him right before we got him). HTH.

[Piff Poff]

Henry has had oily fur on his back lately - we'll switch his diet back to what it was!

[noreaster]

Our Tucker also developed an oily, flaky patch on his back and his fur thinned from behind his mane halfway to his tail. Our vet couldn't give us a definite cause and suggested an array of allergies and medications for each. Our groomer tried many different types of shampoo, but no improvement. We decided we knew our buddy the best and felt the skin condition was a reaction to his diet. He was never fed table or junk food and treats were minimal so it could only have been his main diet. We tried many different types of food before we found the right one - it contained salmon. He liked it, it agreed with him (he had a very sensitive stomach) and in about 3 months we noticed a very definite improvement – the flakiness was gone, the oily patch was disappearing and his red coat was growing back, thick and beautiful. It took awhile, but in about 11 months the spring had returned to his step and he was back to being Tucker! Good Luck to everyone!!!