My Pomeranian has dry, flaky skin and dandruff. What can I do?

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 him allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed.  

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!

Flakes on the skin are usually from dry skin. You can get rid of the dry skin over time by bathing him in a moisturizing shampoo weekly and brushing his coat daily. Feeding a fatty acid supplement will improve his coat from the inside out. Please make sure you are using flea prevention as scratching from fleas will often irritate the skin and cause flaking of the skin. Also feeding a good quality food for sensitive skin or a food with salmon or fish in it will add omega 3 to the diet to improve the coat. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Dry, flaky skin alone is not a sign of allergies. [Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/) more often involve scratching, hair loss, skin and ear infections. Dry, flaky skin alone can be a result of diet, weather (heat being on inside) and in certain endocrine conditions (low thyroid, Cushings) or other dermatological conditions like Seborrhea. I would start with bathing with a medicated shampoo once weekly. Leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing. Keratolux from Virbac is an excellent product, but really [any mild shampoo](https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-grooming-and-bathing/dog-shampoos-conditioners-sprays/dog-shampoos/dry-skin-dog-shampoos) will do. Just be sure you rinse it well; I suggest that you rinse with warm (not hot!) water for at least 10 minutes to ensure that all of the residue is gone. I would also consider adding in Omega 3 fish oils. Choose a high quality brand that is made specifically for dogs. I hope this helps!

The flakes are most likely the dry skin coming off. You can give him an omega3 fatty acid supplement for sure. You need to use a product made for dogs. I found this one: https://www.amazon.in/Petvita-Ultra-Refined-Omega-3-Supplement/dp/B01IY1E28W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517925023&sr=8-2&keywords=dog+omega+3+fish+oil My favorite product is made by Missing Link: https://www.amazon.in/Missing-Link-Ultimate-Small-8-Ounce/dp/B0002W0S4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1517925070&sr=1-1&keywords=missing+link+dog Either of those would be fine. Don't bathe him too much unless you have a soap-free shampoo. You may be drying out his coat by bathing too frequently. With soap-free shampoo you can bathe often without fear of drying his skin. I like this one: https://www.amazon.in/Nap-India-Virbac-Episoothe-Shampoo/dp/B06XHQMR14/ref=sr_1_11?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1517925172&sr=1-11&keywords=dog+shampoo+soap+free Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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

I would give him fish oil in the diet to improve the coat. I recommend an aloe and oatmeal moisturizing shampoo, and make sure you are using a flea control product as having fleas causing excessive itching will irritate the skin. Also as he’s a puppy please make sure he’s been treated for internal parasites which can cause a poor hair coat. To control the itching you can use Benadryl. There is a recommended dosing schedule elsewhere on this website. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Arjun.

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.