Why does my Shih Tzu have flaky skin and hair loss on her back?

I agree that allergies are one of the most likely causes for your dog's scratching - this is a very common problem for many dogs in the summer. But there are other possible causes also that should be ruled out first - itching can also be caused by skin mites (mange), or bacterial or fungal infections. If the itching is allergy related, you can try bathing in a dog shampoo with either cortisone or aloe and oatmeal to help soothe the itching. But most allergy problems in dogs require prescription medications to treat successfully, so I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet if bathing her isn't helpful.

You should treat Jojo for fleas and mites just in case. Your veterinarian may have specific recommendations for your local location so you might check with them. Simparica will kill both fleas and mites (off label). allergies and dry skin can also make pets itchy. Use a food like Royal Canin as it is good for skin. A doggie omega 3 fatty acid is also good for dry skin. A visit to your vet is also helpful as they can provide medications for itching and perhaps determine if parasites are present. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It could just be a ruptured cyst or some type of mass. Your vet can do a needle aspirate to diagnose the exact cause and determine if there is anything to worry about. If needed, your vet could remove the bumps. If the lesions appear infected then he may need an antibiotic to treat. Since he seems itch, you could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo like Epi-soothe and see if that helps.

Yes definitely take Chaya into the vet. The groomer is not trained or licensed to make medical diagnosis such as if a dog has allergies or not, and the only one who can determine what is causing this hair loss is a vet.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

You should have noticed an improvement from the Temaril P within a few days of use. I am not sure how old your pet is, but you have to consider other causes of alopecia now, which includes demodexx mite infestation, ringworm (if the skin is also red and has a crusty ring around it, or even an endocrine disorder (Cushing's disease causes a rat tail appearance). I would revisit the vet and get a skin scrape to look for mites, fungal culture (if indicated), and if those come up negative then bloodwork to look for endocrine disorders. Fish oils are not effective at treating alopecia in pets. They are only good for treating inflammation of the skin. Nor will they cause hair re-growth. We need to find out the underlying cause and treat that directly.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. 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!