My two-year old has large flakes in his hair all over. For a while, he had scabs/crusts all over his stomach, but now they've migrated to his back, sides, and even his legs-- they're everywhere, except now, the crusts flake like crazy and it looks like he has a really bad case of dandruff. Has anyone else seen this, what is it, and what can be done? He's on a lamb diet, given fish oil, and I tried a special peroxide shampoo for dogs. Has anyone ever used selsun blue on their sheltie? He itches like crazy, and it seems obvious that he does have allergies-- to what, I'm not sure (not thinking food-- perhaps environmental. No fleas). His skin problems have escalated since the summer.
Doggy Dandruff
- Thread starter Kelsey
- Start date
Cubby2014
Forums Enthusiast
I would switch to a different protein and work to find a recipe that does not have the common allergens (soy, corn, wheat, egg, dairy, flax seed). I would also stop fish oil. Totally purify to the simplest diet possible and add back from there.
Caro
Moderator
I think you need to get straight to the vet and get a skin scraping. It sounds like whatever it started out as may have become infected and spread. You'll also want to check for mites or other microscopic things. The vet may put him on a short course of prednisone to settle it down. In the meantime you can give him an antihistamine for the itching - my female gets 2.5mg Phenergan for her contact allergy.
You should also get his thyroid checked.
Don't use any human shampoos on his skin - humans have more acidic skin than dogs (who have a neutral pH) so it would be like pouring acid on him. A nappy cream may help in the interim, but definitely get some cortisone cream or spray from the vet, something like Neocort or Cortavance. To hydrate his skin try rubbing baby oil on the skin. The vet dermatologist recommended putting some QV or Ego bath oil in a spray bottle and spraying every day, if you're in the US you won't have QV, but it's a special dermatogical product that is water dispersible (free of petroleum products, perfumes, lanolin), you've probably got a similar brand where you live. I actually use an oil from Plush Puppy called Sea Breeze oil, specially designed for dogs and it works great.
I've been through a similar issue with Deska over the last couple of years and have seen a dermatologist with still no knowing what it is, although we're pretty sure it's not a contact allergy. Usually a dog will lick its paws and have raw feet if it's contact allergy. If you rule out mite type things and thyroid you'll need to try an elimination diet. It needs to be a protein source that your dog hasn't had before and you do it for 3 months to see if there is an improvement. You have to stick really closely to it. There are prescription diets for this, and if you feed kibble it's the easiest way to do it. Deska was on fish and potato - I cooked one meal and gave kibble for the other. He did do well on it, although lost a little weight. The new dermatologist wants me to do it again, but because my dogs get a variety of food, she wants me to try rabbit/goat and pumpkin (blah).
Also, I suggest you flea bomb your home, wash all your dog's bedding in a gentle, liquid detergent (powder laundry detergents tend to cling and leave residual) and if he is spending time in the yard you should spray your yard.
Anyway, lots of info there, like I said, I've been through this process with Deska and I know how awful it is when they're itchy, and how yucky it looks.
You should also get his thyroid checked.
Don't use any human shampoos on his skin - humans have more acidic skin than dogs (who have a neutral pH) so it would be like pouring acid on him. A nappy cream may help in the interim, but definitely get some cortisone cream or spray from the vet, something like Neocort or Cortavance. To hydrate his skin try rubbing baby oil on the skin. The vet dermatologist recommended putting some QV or Ego bath oil in a spray bottle and spraying every day, if you're in the US you won't have QV, but it's a special dermatogical product that is water dispersible (free of petroleum products, perfumes, lanolin), you've probably got a similar brand where you live. I actually use an oil from Plush Puppy called Sea Breeze oil, specially designed for dogs and it works great.
I've been through a similar issue with Deska over the last couple of years and have seen a dermatologist with still no knowing what it is, although we're pretty sure it's not a contact allergy. Usually a dog will lick its paws and have raw feet if it's contact allergy. If you rule out mite type things and thyroid you'll need to try an elimination diet. It needs to be a protein source that your dog hasn't had before and you do it for 3 months to see if there is an improvement. You have to stick really closely to it. There are prescription diets for this, and if you feed kibble it's the easiest way to do it. Deska was on fish and potato - I cooked one meal and gave kibble for the other. He did do well on it, although lost a little weight. The new dermatologist wants me to do it again, but because my dogs get a variety of food, she wants me to try rabbit/goat and pumpkin (blah).
Also, I suggest you flea bomb your home, wash all your dog's bedding in a gentle, liquid detergent (powder laundry detergents tend to cling and leave residual) and if he is spending time in the yard you should spray your yard.
Anyway, lots of info there, like I said, I've been through this process with Deska and I know how awful it is when they're itchy, and how yucky it looks.
Last edited:
Cleo2014
Forums Enthusiast
!!!!! I am going to tell you I just went through this with my co-workers dog! It may not be the same thing but it is worth checking out. For at least 3 years she has been dealing with this. She did everything from changing his diet to the carpets and detergents and everything she could think of to fix the problem and it still persisted. Finally she took him back to the vet again and it all of the sudden came to him. A fungus. He took her dog into another room with a black light and said that if he sees any green on him that it was a fungus and sure enough he did. He just started her dog on a pill to treat the fungus and the flaking has already gone mostly away and this has only been a week. So it is worth looking into.
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
Definitely, get the thyroid checked. Oily scabs and flaking are symptomatic. Been there with Bacca. Hypothyroid is common in Shelties.
Whatever you do, do not shampoo the dog with an oatmeal based shampoo. It will only make it worse. Learned that the hard way.
Recommend shampooing with Nizoral (find it in the pharmacy section of your drug store).
Whatever you do, do not shampoo the dog with an oatmeal based shampoo. It will only make it worse. Learned that the hard way.
Recommend shampooing with Nizoral (find it in the pharmacy section of your drug store).
sable
Forums Enthusiast
I agree with Barb have the thyroid checked. It is a process of elimination. My Lil' Lady has a thyroid problem, which caused skin
problems. Thyroid pills are one of the cheapest meds available. What I did to help her skin problem along was a product called
Earth Born. I clean the skin (its a spritz) with it, and then use an anti biotic cream rubbing that in. I also bought a medicated
shampoo from the vet. The vet also can determine if its fleas, thyroid, fungus, or allergy.
I read a very interesting article where a number of vets do not test for thyroid. I got my vet to do so.
Best Wishes
problems. Thyroid pills are one of the cheapest meds available. What I did to help her skin problem along was a product called
Earth Born. I clean the skin (its a spritz) with it, and then use an anti biotic cream rubbing that in. I also bought a medicated
shampoo from the vet. The vet also can determine if its fleas, thyroid, fungus, or allergy.
I read a very interesting article where a number of vets do not test for thyroid. I got my vet to do so.
Best Wishes