Is puppy dandruff normal? What causes flaky skin on young dogs?

I'm sorry to hear that Zoe is having skin problems! There are a few different things that could cause itching and hair loss with dandruff in a puppy this age. The most common possibilities would be allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend having her examined by a vet as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

Dry skin can be common on dogs for many different reasons. Give the location of it (on his tail), fleas might be the most likely cause of Obadiah's dry skin. With flea infestations, you see specific focus on the back and tail. If he isn't up to date on his flea medications, I recommend getting him a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. I'm not sure how old he is, but he needs to be at least 7 weeks of age in order to use these products, and they will have to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home.

I doubt it is serious at his age. It is likely normal turnover of skin cells. Just be sure he is eating a high quality diet. It should resolve on it's own. Mention it to your vet when Gunner goes to get his next set of vaccines in about 3-4 weeks. Don't bathe him too much and be sure you are using a shampoo made for dogs. Once or twice a month should be enough bathing.

Hi. Skin problems can be difficult to diagnose and difficult to resolve. Your breed of dog tends to have allergies but as a puppy he may be a bit young for this. He could be having a reaction to something in his environment, have dry skin, or may have a parasite on the skin called Demodex. This parasite can cause fur loss in different areas and is more common in puppies as well as your breed of dog. You did not mention the exact medication that he is on so I cannot comment on that however I would recommend to add a high quality soothing and hydrating shampoo. Virbac has high quality shampoos that many veterinarians use and now it can be purchased on amazon! I particularly like the episoothe shampoo and resicort

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. Given her young age, I would suspect that if that is the case it could be due to flea allergies. Another possibility is something like mange. This is something your veterinarian would check with a physical examination and basic diagnostics like a skin scrape and cytology. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!

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.