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My dog has oily fur, sheds, licks, and smells. What products help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 30 lbs

my yellow lab has really oily fur and she sheds a lot. shes often licking herself and she smells. is there anything i can buy for her to help stop the oily fur and treat her symptoms by whatever is causing it?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 11th, 2018

Oily hair often indicates that there is an underlying problem that is not allowing the skin to maintain a healthy environment. This could be caused by a metabolic condition like hypothyroidism, or a nutritional deficiency. In order to narrow-down the cause of this, you will need to take her to a vet. A vet can help narrow-down the underlying problem with a standard examination and advise you on the necessary diagnostics and/or treatment. For now, you can help to keep the coat free from oil and infection (they often have secondary infections with this disorder) by giving a bath once every three days with a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store). It's best to ensure the shampoo is worked well into her coat and is allowed to have at-least 15 minutes of contact time on the skin. Make sure to rinse and dry her well. I hope that helps and your dog gets better soon.

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