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The short answer: most dry, flaky skin in dogs comes from one of five things — dry winter air and central heating, bathing too often or with the wrong shampoo, a diet short on the right fats, allergies, or parasites — and a smaller group of dogs have a hormonal or inherited skin condition. The fix depends on which. For simple dry skin: run a humidifier, bathe less and with a moisturising shampoo, and make sure the diet has enough omega-3 and omega-6 fats. If there is itching, smell, redness, greasy flakes or hair loss, it is not “just dry skin” and needs a vet. This page includes a two-minute test to tell them apart, an honest answer on coconut oil, and — because we make hemp for dogs — what hemp does and doesn't do for skin.
Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Last updated 10 November 2026.
The Two-Minute Flake Test
You need a dark sheet of paper, a fine comb, and good light.
- Comb over the paper along the back, from the shoulders to the base of the tail, for a minute.
- Watch the flakes for thirty seconds. Do any of them move? Moving flakes are mites (Cheyletiella, nicknamed walking dandruff) — contagious, and easily treated by your vet.
- Look for black specks. Put them on a damp white tissue. If they smear red-brown, that is flea dirt.
- Rub a flake between your fingers. Dry and powdery is dry skin. Greasy, waxy or yellow, often with a smell, points to seborrhoea or a yeast or bacterial problem.
- Part the fur in three places. Is the skin pale and normal underneath, or red, dark, scabby or bumpy?
Powdery flakes on calm, normal skin is dry skin. Anything that moves, smells, sticks or itches is something else.
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What's Causing It: The Causes Side by Side
| Cause | What it looks like | Itchy? | The tell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry air (winter, heating) | Fine white flakes along the back, dull coat | Mild or none | Arrives with the heating season, eases in summer. Skin underneath looks normal. |
| Over-bathing or harsh shampoo | Flaky, tight-looking skin, coat feels coarse | Mild | Bathed more than every couple of weeks, or with human or scented shampoo. Improves when baths stop. |
| Diet short on fats | Dull, dry, brittle coat, flakes | Usually mild | Low-fat, home-made or budget diet, or a dog on a weight-loss food. Improves over weeks with more of the right fats. |
| Allergies (environmental or food) | Red skin, flakes, licking, chewing, ear trouble | Yes | Paws, face, armpits, belly and ears are the hot spots. Often seasonal at first. See dog itching and paw licking. |
| Parasites (fleas, mites, mange) | Flakes, scabs, hair loss | Yes, often intense | Moving flakes, flea dirt, or scabs over the lower back and tail base. Other pets or people itchy too. |
| Seborrhoea or skin infection | Greasy or waxy flakes, smell, sometimes red patches | Often | Rancid or yeasty smell. Some breeds are prone — Cocker Spaniels, West Highland Terriers, Basset Hounds. |
| Hormonal disease (thyroid, Cushing's) | Dry, thin coat, flakes, slow regrowth after clipping | Usually not | Weight gain, low energy, feeling the cold (thyroid), or drinking more and a pot belly (Cushing's). Hair loss on both sides of the body. |
How to Moisturise Your Dog's Skin
For simple dry skin, in the order worth trying.
- Humidify. Run a humidifier where your dog sleeps through the heating season. It is the cheapest fix for winter flakes and works for you too.
- Bathe less, and better. Every three to four weeks is plenty for most dogs. Use a dog shampoo labelled moisturising — oatmeal or ceramide-based — and a conditioner, rinse thoroughly, and never use human shampoo or dish soap.
- Brush several times a week. Brushing spreads the skin's natural oils down the hair and lifts flakes before they build up.
- Feed the skin barrier. Essential fatty acids are what keep skin supple from the inside. In a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, dogs with dry, poor coats fed extra linseed or sunflower oil started improving within about four weeks, with the clearest change around seven. Fish-oil omega-3s (EPA and DHA) have good evidence for coat quality too. Ask your vet how much — too much fat brings its own problems, and dogs prone to pancreatitis should not have extra.
- Leave-in sprays or balms made for dogs, for small dry areas like elbows and paw pads. Avoid anything with zinc oxide, tea tree oil or fragrance, which dogs lick off.
- Treat fleas year round. Even a few bites can set off flaking in a sensitive dog.
Skip human lotions. Dogs lick them off, and several common ingredients are irritating or toxic when swallowed. Our guide to putting Vaseline on a dog explains where petroleum jelly helps and where it harms.
Does Coconut Oil Help a Dog's Dry Skin?
We sell hemp in a coconut oil base, so here is a straight answer.
A little, at best, and only on the outside. Coconut oil is a decent occlusive moisturiser for a small dry patch, a cracked paw pad or a dry nose. But the evidence for it in dogs is thin: a 2025 AVMA Convention session reviewing it described the veterinary literature as limited, noted that coconut oil contains very little of the omega-6 fats that actually help skin and coat, and flagged a laboratory study in which undiluted virgin coconut oil was toxic to canine skin cells in a dish. That study was not done on live dogs, but it is a reason to use small amounts, patch-test first, and not slather a whole dog. Fed by mouth, coconut oil adds calories, not the fats the skin needs.
What to use instead for the whole-body problem: humidity, fewer and better baths, and the right dietary fats. Keep coconut-based balms for spot care.
Where Hemp Fits — and Where It Doesn't
Hemp does not cure dry skin. It has evidence for one part of the problem.
In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 32 dogs with allergic skin disease, a CBD/CBDA oil at 2 mg/kg for four weeks reduced owner-rated itch compared with placebo, as an add-on to their usual treatment. It did not improve the skin lesions, and four of the 17 treated dogs had a rise in a liver enzyme. Useful as part of a vet plan for an itchy dog — not a replacement for one.
Our hemp coconut oil jars are made for small-amount topical use on dry elbows, paw pads and flaky patches — the use the coconut evidence actually supports — and if your dog licks a little off, it is a little hemp, not a lot of calories. Patch-test on a small area first.
Moving flakes, greasy smelly skin, scabs, or a thin coat with weight gain all need a diagnosis and specific treatment. Nothing on our shelf treats mites, a yeast infection or an underactive thyroid.
If you use it: for the itch, the trial dose was given by mouth twice daily for four weeks, so judge it over a month, with your vet's agreement — especially if your dog is on Apoquel, Cytopoint or steroids. Read what the research shows about combining them, and check the serving guide.
For dry patches and itchy dogs, this is where owners start
500mg Hemp Coconut Oil5 fl oz jar · spot care$89
100mg Hemp Coconut OilGentlest · small dogs and cats$39
1,000mg Hemp Seed OilBy mouth · 25 lbs and up$99
Grown on our own Colorado farm and third-party tested every batch. Serving by weight →
Shop Hemp Coconut OilSee Serving by Weight
Side effects are mostly mild — drowsiness, loose stool, and a liver-enzyme change seen in several published trials. Every published finding is in hemp and CBD side effects in dogs.
When to See the Vet
- Flakes that move, or flea dirt you cannot get rid of
- Itching, licking or chewing that is keeping your dog (or you) awake
- Red, dark, scabby, bumpy, greasy or smelly skin
- Hair loss, especially in the same pattern on both sides
- Ear infections that keep coming back
- Dry skin with weight gain, low energy, drinking more, or a pot belly
- No improvement after a month of humidity, fewer baths and better fats
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I give my dog for dry skin?
The best-supported thing to add is essential fatty acids: a fish-oil omega-3 supplement made for dogs, or extra omega-6 such as sunflower oil, at a dose your vet recommends. In a published veterinary study, dogs with dry coats fed extra linseed or sunflower oil improved within about four to seven weeks. Make sure the base diet is complete, and talk to your vet first if your dog has had pancreatitis or is overweight.
How can I moisturise my dog's skin?
Run a humidifier during the heating season, bathe no more than every three to four weeks with a moisturising oatmeal or ceramide dog shampoo plus conditioner, brush several times a week to spread natural oils, and use a dog-safe balm on small dry areas like elbows and paw pads. Avoid human lotions, which dogs lick off and which can contain irritating or toxic ingredients.
Will coconut oil help my dog's dry skin?
A little, used sparingly on the outside. Coconut oil works as a moisturiser for a small dry patch or cracked pads, but veterinary evidence for it is limited, it lacks the omega fats that support the skin barrier, and a lab study raised concerns about undiluted virgin coconut oil on canine skin cells. Patch-test a small amount first and use it for spot care, not as a whole-body treatment or a food supplement.
What is the best home remedy for dog dry skin?
Humidity, fewer baths, and better fats. A humidifier near your dog's bed, baths only every few weeks with a gentle moisturising shampoo, regular brushing, and a diet with enough omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids fix most simple winter dry skin within a few weeks. If it does not improve in a month, or there is itching or redness, see your vet.
Why does my dog have dandruff?
Dandruff is just visible flakes of dead skin, and in dogs it is most often caused by dry air, over-bathing, a diet short on fats, allergies or parasites. Flakes that move are mites. Greasy, smelly flakes suggest seborrhoea or infection. Heavy dandruff with a thin coat and weight gain can point to an underactive thyroid. The two-minute flake test on this page narrows it down.
How often should I bathe a dog with dry skin?
For most dogs, every three to four weeks at most, with a moisturising dog shampoo and conditioner, rinsed very thoroughly. Some medicated skin conditions need more frequent baths with a prescription shampoo — in that case follow your vet's schedule, because the shampoo is the treatment.
Can I put lotion on my dog's dry skin?
Not human lotion. Dogs lick it off, and ingredients such as zinc oxide, fragrances, essential oils and some preservatives can irritate or poison them. Use a balm or spray made for dogs, or a very small amount of a plain, dog-safe oil on spot areas.
Does CBD help dogs with itchy, dry skin?
It may help the itch. In a placebo-controlled trial of 32 allergic dogs, a CBD/CBDA oil given by mouth for four weeks reduced owner-rated itch compared with placebo, as an add-on to usual treatment, though it did not improve the skin lesions. It does not fix the underlying cause of dry skin, so humidity, bathing, diet and a vet diagnosis still come first.
The Short Version
Do the flake test. Powdery flakes on normal skin with little itch is dry skin: humidify, bathe less with a moisturising dog shampoo, brush, and feed enough of the right fats. Moving flakes, greasy or smelly flakes, red skin, itch or hair loss are something else, and need a vet.
Coconut oil is spot care, not a cure. Hemp's evidence is for the itch, as an add-on to your vet's plan.
Shop Hemp Coconut OilHow to Stop Dog Shedding →
Dog Shedding · Dog Itching · Hot Spots · Apoquel vs Cytopoint · Serving by Weight
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its own Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Read the published paper (PDF).
This article is general information for dog owners, not veterinary advice. It is reviewed and updated as new peer-reviewed evidence is published, and where the evidence is thin or negative we say so.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your dog is unwell, contact your veterinarian.
