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My new puppy is itchy with skin scabs. Can I bathe her with Malaseb?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 17 lbs

Hi there, I adopted a dog from the shelter yesterday. I notice she’s quite itchy with some spots/scab on her skin. She’s also chewing her skin. Her fosterer said she’s been on Nexgard since 3 months old. She’s 5 months today. We have malaseb at home. Should we shower her with it?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on September 12th, 2021

Congratulations on your new addition! I do see a bit of mild redness in areas of Hazel's abdomen, but it's hard to see the scabs very clearly. The good news is that her skin is by no means in terrible shape, despite her itchiness. Certainly, the more a dog licks and scratches at themself, the more they damage the protective outermost skin layer, which can lead to the development of a bacterial skin infection. With that said, I don't see obvious signs that Hazel currently has a significant infection, but it's important to curb her itching as much as possible. I'm glad to hear that she's been routinely receiving Nexgard - be sure to continue it and adjust the dosing to her current body weight as she continues to grow. This will help to prevent issues with fleas, and also mange (although this is not a labeled claim). Generally speaking, puppies do not typically experience significant allergy issues because it takes repeated contact with an allergen in order to mount an allergic immune response. However, puppies can develop some contact dermatitis issue. You can certainly bathe Hazel with Malaseb, but be sure to leave it on her coat for 10 minutes before rinsing well. If her itching continues, you'll need to take her to her vet for an exam to try to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that everything goes well!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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