Is Head & Shoulders safe for my dog's dandruff and dry skin?

Actually the active ingredient found in head and shoulders is "Zinc Pyrithione" and the safety of this was studied and published in a journal article titled Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2002 Nov-Dec;15(6):434-41. It studied the safety of Zinc Phyrithione and Ketoconazole and also how efficient they were at treating canine seborrhea (dry skin). They both were deemed safe for use, avoiding any product going into the eyes, and Ketoconazole was found to be far superior for treatment of canine seborrhea than Zinc Pyrithione. So to answer your question, yes Head and Shoulders, with the active ingredient Zinc Pyrithione, is safe for use in bathing pets as long as none gets in the eyes or is ingested (zinc in large quantities can be toxic to all pets). But there are more effective options out there such as Ketoconazole based shampoo's.

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.

Hello. Sorry to hear that Rugrat is having this issue. Dry skin can be the result of many different things. Usually it is a symptom of something underlying and not a primary disease. It could be related to his diet, an allergy, a problem with his immune system, a skin parasite, or any number of other things. It would be best to take him to a vet for an exam so they can try to find the underlying cause. It's not normal for a dog his age to have such flaky skin. In the meantime you can get him a special shampoo to help with the dandruff like this one: http://www.naturalpets.com/dbepeplsh8.html?gclid=CMmp7-rh7tMCFYl3fgodZywDjg Lather the shampoo, let it sit on his skin for 5-10 minutes and then rinse well. The shampoo needs the contact time with the skin to work so be sure to leave it on at least 5 minutes. Wash him 2-3 times a week to start then go down to 1-2 times a week until it seems under control. This may help but it will not fix the underlying cause. He still should see a vet for an exam. I hope this helps. Best wishes! Dr. Amber

This is dandruff (seborrhea). It could be nutrition related. It could be a product you are using on him (shampoo, spray , etc). It may just be him. I would suggest you put him on a good skin supplement, make sure he is on a good dog food and use this medicated shampoo to treat seborrhea. If no improvement after a couple months then you should have him to your vet for an exam. I like this supplement: ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1803-missing-link-vet-canine.aspx ) You can use this medicated shampoo - lather, let sit on his coat for 10 minutes and then rinse. You can bathe twice a week and once the skin is looking better you can go to once a week. In between baths you can use the spray or the mousse. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6684-douxo-seborrhea-shampoo-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20seborrhea+Auto ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6675-douxo-seborrhea-micro-emulsion-spray-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20sebor+Auto ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6678-douxo-seborrhea-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20sebor+Auto )

Thanks for using PetCoach! The concentration of chlorhexidine in that formulation tends to be higher than what we normally use in pets. You can use a veterinary [chlorhexidine shampoo](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/septiderm-v-antiseptic-skin-care-bath-grooming-shampoo-for-dogs-cats-and-horses) which contains a more diluted version of the chlorhexidine. That could help with a secondary infection. The seborrhea sometimes can improve with supplemented fish oil. You can get a veterinary version of fish oil online or at your local pet store. Good luck and have a good one!

Hello and thank you for your question about Twix! I am sorry he is having a hard time with his skin and finding a shampoo to use. I would recommend products from the company called DOUXO, specifically using the shampoo formulation for seborrhea. That should help. You can ask your veterinarian if they carry this. Some online retailers also sell it, like amazon.

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