Why does my dog have white flakes? Is it dandruff, fleas, or dry skin?

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 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

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!

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds as though Susie may be dealing with a bit of dandruff if you are seeing thin white flakes all over through the hair coat. I would recommend the below following products to see if you can improve the overall haircoat. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS calm shampoo 2. Welactin omega-3 fish oil capsules 3. Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent 4. Krillex shed free chews All of these products can be found online quite easily.

It's hard to see anything with the photos, however if the skin is flaking a few things could be happening: skin flaking can sometimes happen with parasites, so ruling out fleas or ticks is a good first step. Dry skin can also occur from over grooming (bathing too often which strips the coat of its natural oils), or from possible allergies/issues with diet. Using an aloe or oatmeal shampoo when bathing, adding some vitamin E or fish oil to the diet may help, however if the flaking continues, worsens, or you see irritation on the skin itself, having it checked by a vet is best.

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.