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Dutchess_III's avatar

What is wrong with my dog's skin?

Asked by Dutchess_III (46807points) June 15th, 2012

For the past week I’ve noticed that my Dutchess dog’s fur has a very oily appearance and feel. We gave her a bath. In two days it was back again. And, most alarmingly, today I noticed that she apparently has a severe case of dandruff. We’re not feeding her anything different than we feed our other dog, Dakota, and Dakota seems perfectly fine and clean.

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5 Answers

syz's avatar

What kind of dog is she and how old? Is there an odor to her skin?

Some dogs are prone to seborrhea, which can often be controlled with frequent baths with a medicated shampoo. But a trip to the vet is warranted. She needs to be check for bacterial and fungal issues,allergies, as well as hypothyroidism and some other metabolic disorders that can cause skin issues.

Dutchess_III's avatar

She’s a medium sized dog, Australian shepherd and Brittney spaniel mix. She’s only about four years old. From your link, that EXACTLY describes her symptoms. Yes, medicated shampoo. It was the first thing I thought of.

As for odor…she smells like a dog! Especially when she’s wet!

Pandora's avatar

Careful. I have found that a lot of the medicated shampoos have stuff that can actually make allergies worse. The best one we have ever used so far was, Glen Haven Therapeutics, Benasoothe Shampoo. The doc once changed his shampoo to one that was suppose to be oatmeal shampoo but it had some other things that made his condition worse. I believe this shampoo has to be perscribed. At least I never seen it sold over the counter. I only get it through my vet. This shampoo has a very light scent and I would see his red rash get a light pink minutes after his bath. Usually by the second bath during the week, his rash is usually gone. Now I just keep it on hand to use, the moment I see he is itching. My dog would usually get this way after an flea bite. He’s allergic to them. Most any other time I just use regular oatmeal shampoo. Good luck.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I just used OTC people stuff for the flakes. But I did buy an antibacterial shampoo from the pet aisle for her. She got a BIG bath the other day. Seems to be doing much better.

SuzM122's avatar

If her skin is flaky and dry, try something with Vitamin E and Zinc in it, like Natural Balance Healthy Bones treats. My dogs get them and all have fluffy coats and no skin problems. Omegas are good too, which my dog’s get daily in their Synergy food.

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