Why is my dog constantly itching and has dandruff? What's wrong?

Question

Dog dandruff and itch ing problem .ten month old Rottweiler. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | 11 months and 15 days old | 46 lbs

Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist · Accepted Answer

Your dog may have allergies, a bacterial infection, fleas, or mange. If he hasn't had a skin scraping to rule out parasites, or skin cytology/culture to look for bacterial or yeast infection, these things should be done. Some dogs actually have skin tumors or autoimmune skin disease that is causing the itching, and those dogs need to have fine needle aspirates or skin biopsies taken for diagnosis. Also, you should try a veterinary prescription allergy diet like Hills z/d for 8-10 weeks fed exclusively to treat potential food allergies. I have had great success with the oral pill Apoquel for allergies as well, and this is a medication that is much safer to use long-term than steroids like prednisone. If this course of diagnosis and/or treatment is not possible with your current veterinarian, pursue a second opinion somewhere else. If all of these options are explored and your dog is still itchy and miserable, it's time to go to a veterinary dermatologist specialist for help.

Why is my dog constantly itching and has dandruff? What's wrong?

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