My dog has dandruff and pink skin spots. What's the cause & treatment?

Hello. While I cannot diagnose your pet, it does appear that we have a case of bacterial seborrhea here. There may be an undiagnosed underlying cause, such as hypothyroidism or he has developed an allergic response/sensitivity to something, so I would make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can bathe your pet in a medicated antibacterial shampoo if you can find one. One that contains chlorhexidine ( 2-4% ) or benzoyl peroxide should work well. You can bathe your pet 2-3 times a week. I would also start an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as Bayer's Freeform snip tips. Hopefully, this will help to clear things up, but try to see your vet soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to see and hear that Cointhee is having some skin problems. This certainly does look like dry skin or what we call seborrhea sicca. It is in an area that I would be suspicious of a flea bite allergy commonly known as flea allergy dermatitis. So first off, I would recommend that you use a very effective flea/tick product even though the weather is cooling down. It is possible that you have some immature flea stages in the indoor environment (eggs, larvae, etc). Again I am just assuming here due to the location of the trouble spot and knowing nothing of the geographical area where you live. There are other things that you can be doing to help the problem. I would not bathe too frequently. This tends to dry out the skin and strips the oils that are needed to keep the skin and hair coat healthy. So don't bathe too frequently, I would say not more than once a month or so. Do spot bathing if certain areas need to be cleaned but not full baths too frequently. Make sure you are feeding a high quality, well balanced diet since nutrition can play a role. You can certainly supplement the diet with some fish oil and skin supplements designed to aid in keeping the skin and hair coat healthy. I will post a link at the bottom and recommend some products. Dry skin can be caused by a localized bacterial infection, low thyroid problem, intestinal parasites affecting nutrition and health, external parasite problems (fleas, ticks, mites, etc), lack of adequate rinsing when bathing, aroblem persists, you should take Cointhee to your vet and let them advise you based on the history and physical exam findings. Treating the underlying cause is key and your vet can discuss how to get to that point. Possible tests could be skin scrape, fungal culture, blood tests, etc. Here's the link for some very high quality supplements- http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977951 Check out the fish oil Canine Omega Benefits and the Cutaneo TruBenefits. Good luck

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be a skin infection (bacterial or fungal). I would recommend using a shampoo such as PS Douxo Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. The above shampoo can be found online. If the areas worsen or persist, I would recheck with the veterinarian for further testing and treatment options.

Hello, and thanks for your question about Jack. If Jack has focal lesions where he's getting hair loss and red spots, this is often a sign of a skin infection. This can often occur secondary to allergies or fleas. Jack should be seen by your vet, as he may require a course of oral antibiotics to treat his skin. Hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. Skin tests will likely need to be performed. Demodex is a mite that lives normally in the hair follicles of dogs. Puppies can experience an overgrowth. This is common in his breed. The veterinarian can diagnose this condition with a procedure known as a skin scrapes. Of course, there can be other conditions affecting his skin. In the meantime, I recommend bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. Place an E-collar on him if he is licking or biting the areas. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The smell usually indicates skin infection, so ideally you should take Jaceky to your local vets to get a course of antibiotics. Alternatively, you can first clip the wounds from the hair and use antiseptic solution ( 4% chlorhexidine would be best) and clean it twice a day. Also, make sure that your dog doesn't lick or scratch the wounds. For ticks, the most effective treatments are spot-on skin solutions that you can buy over-the-counter at pet shops or online.