Could my dog's non-itchy bald spots and flaky skin be mange?

You are absolutely correct that mange or allergies are possible. The doctor may recommend a diagnostic called a skin scrape to check for mites. For now just protect the area from any itching. It doesn’t look really inflamed so I’m not sure there’s much you can do at this point. As a general recommendation, starting Lexi on an omega 3 fatty acid for dogs can help improve skin health and it certainly won’t hurt anything. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Itchy skin and hair loss is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. The permethrin shampoo is only temporary, so it's possible that he is getting re- infested. He may have mites, which are microscopic and require a vet to find. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Dogs should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. Below are some links to articles that should be helpful for you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/skin-allergies-vs-food-allergies/

Allergies and mange would be at the top of my list. A vet can easily check for intestinal parasites (mange) and then figure out a treatment plan for allergies if you don't have any parasites. There are many many different way to treat allergies, depending on how much you want to spend on medications/testing.

Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose and treat, for the pet, the pet owner, and the veterinarian! It is the most common cause for itching in dogs. Medications like Apoquel can eliminate the itch due to allergies, though it won't work if there is a secondary bacterial or yeast infection. Food allergies won't be treated simply by a better diet, they need to be strictly on a prescription hypoallergenic diet without other dog or human treats, and even then it can take 3-6 weeks to see positive effects. Until then, anti-itch medications, steroids, or shampoos/topical mousses can be used to minimize the itch and treat any present infection. I would recommend continuing to work with your vet to find the best solution to Toes's itch issue.

If there was supposed to be a picture attached to this question I apologized but it isn’t here. Bald spots can be caused by numerous issues, but a very common mite called Demodex is probably one of the most common causes. Low thyroid function can also cause hair loss. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Adult dogs who have demodex often have other problems making their immune system less robust. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. It does sound like Dyce is allergic to something. It is best to have him seen by your veterinarian to try & get to the bottom of his issues, whether they be environmental allergies, food allergies, or even the presence of fleas or skin mites causing him to itch. We now have very good & very safe products to treat allergies, including Apoquel & Cytopoint. If you can not get Dyce to the vet, you can start him on a good fish oil supplement made for dogs, such as Dermapet & F.A. capsules. Most large pet retailers will have a good selection. You can also bathe Dyce 1-2 times weekly in cool water using a mild oatmeal based shampoo or one that contains either 1% hydrocortisone or pramoxine. These will give short term relief & when used regularly, may decrease the incidence of his allergic outbreaks. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor guy. There are really only 2 types of mites that we see in veterinary medicine- Scabies and Demodexx mites. Scabies (a type ofmite) is infectious to people so if you yourself are not itching then you can kind of rule that one out. The other mite, Demodexx isn't infectious to people or other pets, and nowadays it can be treated with oral flea preventatives such as Bravecto, Nexgard or Simparica + a medicated topical shampoo through your vet. I would recommend just starting Baileys' on one of these to cover any kind of mite issue. Then I would suggest getting Bailey on an oral antibiotic to clear up the skin infection that is present. The ears look to be infected as well. This will require a topical ear medication and cleaner from your vet to resolve. Skin allergy testing is not commoonly used anymore due to the poor overall response to allergy immunotherapy shots. THe most common allergy medication used nowadays is Apoquel. I would ask your vet about this as well, especially if mites are not the underlying problem, which can be easily confirmed or denied with a simple skin scraping test done through your vet. I hope that you can get Bailey's skin issue resolved soon. Best wishes and take care!