Dog coat supplements not working? Norfolk Terrier

A year of supplements with nothing to show for it is genuinely frustrating — and honestly, it's a signal worth paying attention to. Skin and coat issues in dogs usually come down to one of two things: a dietary deficiency, or an underlying skin condition. Supplements only make a real difference if the root cause is nutritional. If something else is going on, you can add oils and omega capsules indefinitely and the coat won't budge. To work out which camp your dog is in, it would help to know: what breed and age exactly, what you're seeing day-to-day (dry skin, dull coat, shedding, itching), and what you're currently feeding?

That history is really useful. The fact that two well-chosen supplements did nothing over a sustained period tells me this almost certainly isn't a dietary omega deficiency — if it were, you'd have seen at least some improvement. A few things stand out: she's 11, which is senior for any terrier, and age-related coat changes are common and don't respond to supplements. But more importantly, the combination of flaky skin, dullness, and thinning in an older dog on long-term kibble can sometimes point to a thyroid issue or early Cushing's disease — both of which affect the skin and coat and are frequently missed. Has she had a blood panel recently, including thyroid levels?

Diet can always be a background factor, and a poor-quality kibble with cheap protein sources can contribute to a dull coat over time — so it's worth addressing. But given that direct supplementation didn't help, I wouldn't expect switching food alone to resolve what you're seeing either. I'd genuinely recommend getting a vet blood panel done first, especially thyroid function. That said, if you want to do something practical right now while you arrange that, the one product I'd suggest is YuMEGA Itchy Dog by Lintbells. It's formulated differently from standard fish oils — it combines omega-3 and omega-6 in a specific ratio with added vitamin E, and it's designed for dogs where the skin barrier itself is compromised rather than just a simple deficiency. It won't fix a hormonal issue, but if there's any inflammatory or barrier component to her skin condition, this is more likely to show a result than what you've already tried.

They're related but different. YuMEGA Plus is their general skin and coat supplement. YuMEGA Itchy Dog is specifically formulated for dogs with sensitive or reactive skin — it has a higher concentration of GLA from starflower oil alongside the omega-3s, which helps target the skin barrier more directly. Given the flakiness and the fact that standard omegas haven't worked, Itchy Dog is the version I'd go with. It's available on Amazon UK. One thing to be realistic about: if there is a hormonal cause, this won't resolve it — but it won't interfere with any treatment either, and if the vet bloods come back clear, you'll at least know you're using something that addresses the skin barrier specifically rather than just adding more oil.

That's exactly the right order of priorities. The bloods are the more important step — if her thyroid is low or there's something else systemic going on, that's what needs treating, and no supplement will substitute for that. But YuMEGA Itchy Dog is a reasonable thing to have running alongside. Give it at least 8 weeks before judging it, and note whether the flakiness reduces before the coat itself improves — that's usually the first sign it's doing something. Good luck with her, and I hope the vet visit gives you a clearer picture.