My Shih Tzu's skin is dry, flaky, and red after a bath. What can I do?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello! A picture of the lesion would help us give more helpful input. However, if Shiloh's skin is flaky and itchy, it could be a number of things, including superficial pyoderma, demodicosis, sarcoptes, yeast dermatitis, and ringworm. It is difficult to narrow down the causes without doing an exam on her or at least seeing the lesions, but it is very likely some sort of infection (whether bacterial, yeast, or parasitic) so I do recommend bringing Shiloh to the vet. Your vet will be able to determine the cause, and Shiloh will likely need prescription medication (antibiotics, antifungals, or anti-parasite, along with possible medicated shampoo) to clear the issue. Depending on the severity of the issue on her skin, it very likely might not improve without prescription meds, so it is worth having her seen as soon as possible. Additionally, depending on her age, she may have some underlying condition that might be making her skin susceptible to infection, such as allergies or hypothyroidism. I hope this helps.

I agree that allergies are one of the most likely causes for your dog's scratching - this is a very common problem for many dogs in the summer. But there are other possible causes also that should be ruled out first - itching can also be caused by skin mites (mange), or bacterial or fungal infections. If the itching is allergy related, you can try bathing in a dog shampoo with either cortisone or aloe and oatmeal to help soothe the itching. But most allergy problems in dogs require prescription medications to treat successfully, so I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet if bathing her isn't helpful.

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. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. I think this is likely a hot spot which is basically an infection from scratching so much. You may use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma from scratching. 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!

Harley's skin lesions certainly look uncomfortable! The most likely cause of this redness and papule formation is due to an underlying allergy. Dogs can be allergic to fleas, food or things in the environment, and new allergies can develop at any age, even though nothing has changed. A trip to the vet is still in order to assure that his skin has not become infected secondary to any licking or scratching because these skin infections typically require antibiotics. Be sure that Harley is receiving a high quality flea preventative regularly (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Advantix). You can also try bathing him in a gentle oatmeal-based dog shampoo, as this can be soothing on the skin. If he is overly itchy, he may need an e-collar (cone) to prevent him from chewing or licking excessively, as this can cause further skin irritation. I hope that all goes well!

I would suggest starting with the following; Hot spot cream on the red crusted areas Bathe as infrequently as you can as the natural oils dogs produce in their skin is washed away with baths Use an e-collar to stop chewing and biting Use a natural, organic and gentle shampoo- Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe Add a skin health supplement with omega fatty acids and vitamin E Here is a link to suplements are Veterinary tested and approved. I would advise Canine Omega Benefits and Cutaneo TruBenefits. http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977955 Switch to skin health food by royal canin, Hills science diet or purina pro plan Benadryl has been used in the short term to reduce itching https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ Best of luck and please post any further questions you may have here. We are happy to help.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Shilo. His skin appears very red and irritated. Has he been scratching at all? If so, he could have caused self trauma. He may be experiencing seasonal allergies or a reaction to something he came into contact with recently. While I do not think it is an emergency, he will need to see his veterinarian especially since he is not acting like himself. I suspect that he is uncomfortable. In the meantime, you can bathe him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. This is will hopefully provide him with some relief.