My dog has itchy skin with dandruff and scabs. What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing could be due to allergies or a skin infection. I would recommend starting a shampoo such as Douxo PS chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly. I would also recommend welactin omega 3 fish oil, essential 6 spot on by dermoscent and malacetic conditioning spray. If this does not imprive the current problem or it worsens, i would have a veterinarian look at this for further trestment recommendations. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

The skin is unhealthy for some reason. This is usually caused by some irritation of the skin. The skin is most commonly irritated from allergies, fleas, mites, or inappropriate bathing. The irritation can then cause the skin to get infected with yeast and bacteria. The best thing you can do now is give a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (you can find this at the pet store). Follow the shampoo with an oatmeal or aloe conditioner labeled for dogs. Repeat the bath every other day for two weeks. If that's helping, then repeat the bath every week for a month. If all is good after that, then she should be OK to have a once monthly bath with normal dog shampoo. If the bath is not helping, or she's getting worse, then she needs to go to the vet. The vet will be able to determine if something else is wrong and if further treatment is needed.

It looks like dandruff. However, if he's itchy or has any areas of skin that obviously have a rash, take him to your vet. If not, here's an article you may find helpful. https://www.petcoach.co/article/helpful-products-for-your-dogs-dry-skin/ Thanks for asking PetCoach!

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 her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. The lump may actually be something like a cyst. 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!

After a bath some of the older skin cells get loose and cause dandruff. Brushing Breaker daily will stimulate the skin and remove the dandruff. The shampoo you used was fine. Dogs itch mostly from allergies. They can be allergic to flea bites, grass, pollen and leaves and also have allergies to food. Breaker would be much itchier with mites and mites are not that common. To keep his skin healthy and reduce inflammation I recommend an omega 3 or fatty acid supplement, in addition feed a high quality dog food. In order to check for mites you need to bring Breaker to your veterinarian and they can look at the skin cells and fur under the microscope. If they do see mites a treatment will be prescribed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Breaker.

Sometimes these flakes can indicate problems with the oil glands and sometimes they can indicate a superficial bacterial infection. Potential causes in hypothyroidism, allergies or primary disease of the oil glands. If your treatment is not helping, I recommend to have Mia see her veterinarian. The doctor may recommend testing the thyroid gland and can provide medications to relieve itching. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor King! His itching and scabs could be a result of mange, ringworm, or allergies (although he is quite young to develop allergies). When dogs become excessively itchy, they sometimes scratch themselves enough that they can develop skin infections. King should see his vet for an exam and skin scraping to rule out mites/mange and have a Wood's lamp evaluation or ringworm culture. Ringworm and some types of mange can be transmitted to humans and other pets. King may need antibiotics, antifungal medications and steroids to control his itching and any underlying issues. There is a chance that the leaf he ate may have caused some mild gastroenteritis that led to a bit of soft stool or could be coincidental if he has any intestinal parasites. A vet should check his stool sample for parasites. If his stool is slightly soft but he is otherwise acting normally, you can also try a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice for a few days before transitioning back to his normal puppy food.