One skin supplement for two Dachshunds

You've got two Dachshunds at very different life stages, which makes the one-supplement question a sensible one to think through carefully. Skin and coat issues in dogs usually fall into two categories — dietary deficiency or an underlying skin condition — and supplements only help if the root cause is dietary. Before I suggest anything, it would help to know: what are you actually seeing on each dog? Dull coat, dry flaky skin, excessive shedding, itching? And what are you currently feeding both of them?

That's useful. Barney's dull coat and flakiness on a supermarket kibble is a classic sign of insufficient omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet — own-brand dry foods often cut corners on quality fats. That's actually good news because it means a supplement is likely to help him directly. For Pip, there's no harm in giving her the same thing as a maintenance top-up, especially if she's on the same food. The only thing I want to flag before recommending: is Barney itching at all, or is it purely dryness and dullness with no scratching?

Perfect — no itching rules out an allergic or inflammatory skin condition, which means this really is a dietary gap and a supplement should do the job for Barney. For both dogs I'd recommend YuMEGA Dog by Lintbells. It's a cold-pressed oil blend of omega-3 and omega-6 — specifically EPA, GLA and SDA — in ratios that are well-studied for skin and coat support. It comes in a pump bottle so dosing by size is easy: Barney as a standard Dachshund and Pip as a Miniature will take slightly different amounts, which the label guides you through. It's also suitable for seniors, so no concern about Barney being 11. You'd expect to see a difference in Barney's coat texture within four to six weeks. One bottle works for both dogs, just adjust the pump count.

No, one year is fine — she's fully adult. YuMEGA is suitable from around 12 weeks onwards, so a one-year-old Miniature Dachshund is well within range. If anything, starting her on a good fatty acid supplement now while she's on a lower-quality kibble is sensible. Just pump the smaller dose for her weight and the larger dose for Barney, mix it into their food separately, and you're set. If Barney's skin hasn't improved after six to eight weeks on it, that would be the point to involve your vet to rule out a thyroid issue or other age-related cause — but given the picture you've described, I'd be surprised if the oil didn't shift things noticeably.