My dog scratches until she bleeds. Is dandruff shampoo safe for scabs?

Thank you for your question. Patches must be pretty uncomfortable. There are several possible reasons for this type of itchiness. The first thing I recommend is make sure he has been treated for fleas. Even one little flea can trigger massive itching in a dog that is sensitive to them. Other things that can cause this type of itching are food allergies, environmental allergies, mites, and bacterial skin infections. When the skin becomes this damaged, a trip to your veterinarian is necessary. We often have to prescribe antibiotics to control local bacterial infections that can result from all the scratching. We also need to get the itching under control. Sometimes this means steroids, and sometimes we prescribe a medication specifically to control itching. A t-shirt can be used to protect the skin from further scratching while it heals. There are some over the counter anti-itch sprays you can try, but many times they are not strong enough. I hope this helps, and Patches is feeling better soon!

It sounds like Prince needs actual medications to feel better. When pets are itching to the point of bleeding, it's unlikely that an over the counter medication or shampoo will help them significantly. Additionally, there are several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection that could be causing the itching and until those are addressed, he will keep itching badly. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Pets can take anti-histamines but you will need to get a recommendation from your veterinarian (pharmacy law prohibits online vets from discussing this with clients). Protect the areas from licking or scratching. I recommend to have him examined by his veterinarian who may prescribe medications and determine the source of the itching. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I can definitely see the small scabs and hairless on Peanut's back - those must be so uncomfortable. It can be frustrating to watch her scratch constantly and not have anything help. While the remedies you tried may help to decrease the symptoms, they do not provide a cure for what is actually causing Peanut to itch. I recommend that Peanut sees a vet who can figure out the underlying cause. Things like mites buried deep in the skin (which are not treated with flea sprays), food allergies, and chronic bacterial/fungal infections can be causing her issues. Your vet can take a sample from the skin to determine what is going on, as well as run some blood work to rule out underlying hormonal imbalances.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Delaware. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian as your at home has not resolved the issue. Scabs typically represent a skin infection. Unfortunately, there can be many causes. She could be experiencing a bacterial or yeast infection. She could also have fleas, mites or allergies. The veterinarian will ask detailed questions about her lifestyle, any previous skin disease and diet. Then she will be thoroughly examined. Skin tests may help her doctor reach a diagnosis. Based on these results, treatment can be prescribed. In the meantime, I would bathe her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. This can help to soothe the skin. I suspect she will need prescription medications to fully heal though. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. What you can do in the meantime is use an e-collar to prevent further self-injury. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

If she's this itchy, then there is some underlying condition like allergies or mange causing it. Either way, itchiness this severe needs prescription medication to really have an effect. For now, you can try giving a bath with cool water and use a dog shampoo and conditioner with oatmeal or aloe in it. This will provide a little relief, but Ponkey really needs to see a vet to get this problem identified and properly treated. I hope that helps and Ponkey gets better soon.

Simply dry skin shouldn’t be that itchy. I would recommend that you have Ricky examined by the vet to check for mange, fleas, allergies, or skin infection which could be causing the itch. Depending on the cause of the itch, there are lots of treatment options, ranging from medicated shampoos or mousses to oral antibiotics-inflammatories or antibiotics. Make sure you change the bandage daily. I don’t like air impermeable dressings like cling wrap, because most wounds need oxygen to prevent moisture from getting trapped underneath and causing additional skin issues.