GLA supplement for Basset Hound skin

Skin and coat issues in dogs usually come down to one of two things — a dietary deficiency or an underlying skin condition like mange, allergies, or infection. The important thing about supplements is that they only make a real difference when the root cause is dietary. Since your vet has already done the work of ruling out mange, you're in a good position — it means a targeted GLA supplement is a genuinely appropriate next step rather than a guess. To make sure I point you to the right product, can you tell me a bit more? What breed and age is your dog, what are you actually seeing (dry flaking skin, dull coat, shedding, itching), and what are they eating day to day?

That's a clear picture, and it lines up well with what your vet is pointing toward. Basset Hounds have fairly dense, oily skin that can struggle to maintain its natural lipid barrier as they age — at nine, it's common for that balance to shift. James Wellbeloved is a decent kibble but it's not particularly high in the omega-6 fatty acids, specifically GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), that ageing skin needs to hold moisture and maintain that healthy sheen. One question before I recommend: is she on any other supplements currently, or just the kibble?

Your vet is right to make that distinction — it matters. Fish oil is rich in EPA and DHA, which are anti-inflammatory omega-3s. They're useful for joints and general inflammation, but they're not the same as GLA. GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid found in plant-based oils like starflower (borage) and evening primrose, and it plays a specific role in rebuilding the skin's lipid barrier — exactly what's needed when the issue is dryness, flaking, and a dull coat rather than inflammation or itching. For a 9-year-old Basset Hound with this exact profile, I'd recommend Yumega Plus by Lintbells. It's a cold-pressed oil blend that combines starflower oil (the richest natural source of GLA) with salmon oil, so you get both the skin barrier support from the GLA and a background of omega-3s. It's well-dosed for larger dogs, comes in a pump bottle that's easy to add to kibble, and has a strong track record with older dogs and heavier breeds. Available on Amazon UK, typically around £18–22 for a 250ml bottle. You'd expect to see a visible difference in coat condition within six to eight weeks.

Starflower oil contains roughly twice the concentration of GLA compared to evening primrose oil — around 22–25% GLA versus 8–10% — so you need less of it to hit the effective dose, which is one reason Lintbells chose it for Yumega Plus. For a Basset Hound, she'd likely fall into the medium-to-large dog dosing range. The Yumega Plus bottle has a pump, and the packaging gives a weight-based guide — for a typical adult Basset Hound around 25–30kg, you're usually looking at 2–3 pumps per day added to her food. I'd start at the lower end and build up over the first week. No need to split it between meals if that's easier — once a day on her main meal works fine.

Keep her on the Yumega Plus consistently for at least eight weeks before judging the results — skin turnover is slow, so the improvement is gradual rather than sudden. Beyond that, regular brushing will help distribute her natural skin oils and remove the flaky skin, which will make the coat look better faster. If after eight weeks on a full dose you're not seeing meaningful improvement, it's worth going back to the vet — not because the supplement has failed, but because persistent skin issues in older dogs can occasionally point to thyroid changes or other age-related shifts worth checking. But given your vet has already done the groundwork here, I'd be optimistic.