My dog has black, dry, smelly skin and is losing weight. What's wrong?

Poor Elsa. I obviously cant say for sure without seeing her in person but I bet she has sever allergies and some secondary bacterial and/or fungal infections causing her to smell bad. it also sounds like she has an ear infection which will need medicated ear drops to help her heal. I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at her to get her on the proper treatment to make her feel better. The weight loss could come from a number of different things and the vet will be able to help you determine the cause of that as well. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon!

I am sorry your dog is not feeling well. The information provided and picture don't really match. If a patient is drinking more and losing weight I would be concerned about endocrine diseases like diabetes and cushings disease. However the picture looks more like possible skin mites or an underlying autoimmune disease I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian to help you resolve the issues. They most likely will need to run basic bloodwork and possible a skin scrape to determine if mites are present.

It's possible your pet is experiencing symptoms of a bacterial infection due to mange mite infestation. You'll want to be sure to visit your local Veterinarian as soon as possible and request a skin scraping examination. This will allow your doctor to identify the underlying cause of your pets discomfort. You're doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to help stop the infection and mite/mange treatment if needed.

With the weight loss as well as the skin condition I would recommend a blood test to rule out internal diseases such as liver disease as well as a skin scrape and possible biopsy in order to fully investigate the underlying cause and to guide the most appropriate treatment

Cushings can definitely cause changes to the skin such as symmetric hair loss and black/dirty patches or other color changes. If home care hasn't helped such as the wipes or adhering to diet, it would be a good idea to bring Trixy into your vet for a full exam and bloodwork to see if her condition has progressed and requires additional treatment.

These symptoms can be from a yeast infection of the skin. I suggest you try to use this medicated shampoo on her. Lather the shampoo, let it sit on her for 10 minutes and then rinse. In between baths you can use this medicated mousse. I recommend you bathe her twice a week. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6692-douxo-chlorhexidine-shampoo-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx?SearchTerm=chlorhex+Auto ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6673-douxo-chlorhexidine-climbazole-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx )

Hi. Poor Tiana!! Her skin looks really bad unfortunately. With this severity, there is nothing that will work from home. The underlying cause has to be determined. It could include the fleas...but other possibilities include deep infection, immune mediated diseases, low thyroid, and many more. Not is definitely looking out of control. She should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible