My Lhasa Apso seems so itchy and I don’t know how to give her relief. Since it’s winter and she is indoors only, I doubt that it is fleas since I have seen no sign of them.

Beside itchy skin, the dryness of winter can also cause sneezing and drippy noses and eyes in dogs and cats. The air is very dry in winter when you are indoors with the heat on – or outside in the cold, dry air (at least in many geographical areas). If you experience static electricity when touching certain surfaces that’s a good sign of general dryness in the environment. With such low humidity it can really dry out her skin (and yours!).

Get a humidifier and crank it up to at least 45% humidity. Try to put a humidifier in every room where you and the dog spend the most time – even just putting out containers of water on windowsills or on top of old-fashioned radiators – will disperse the humidity into the air.

You can treat the skin from the inside-out by giving some high quality fish oil in the diet, since Omega 3 fatty acids can be very good for the skin.

Tracie