My dogs skin is always flaky I don't know if it's dandruff or he has dry skin , his paws are also dry and the ends of his ears. Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 6 months old | 70 lbs

Dry flaky skin can be due to a skin disease such as an allergy or a mite infestation, it could also be due to low quality nutrition for example. i would recommend to start by changing the food to a high quality dry food such as Accana or Evolve and see if it makes any difference, if it doesn't- take him to the vet in order to get it checked.

Adding fish oil to the diet can help with skin inflammation/allergies and dandruff. There are prescription skin diets such as Royal Canin skin support that are five star rated by owners to help with itchy, allergic skin. It is possibly that Noir has a food allergy and as there are lots of different proteins in some of the Acana foods, trying a single protein Acana diet such as Acana duck is an option as well Douxo calm dog and cat shampoo is also highly rated for helps support a healthy skin barrier and will likely reduce dandruff and flakiness when used weekly as well.

This is a severe skin infection which could be due to mites, bacteria or fungus. Your veterinarian will be able to perform a skin scrape and cytology to determine what is causing the infection and to prescribe appropriate treatment. There is nothing you can do at home to resolve this issue.

You may want to try a daily omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as Welactin - this often helps with dry, flaky skin in dogs. If this doesn't help, or if he has any itching or hair loss along with the dandruff, I would recommend having him examined by a vet to see if he may have an underlying skin condition causing the flakiness.

My dog has dry, flaky skin, paws, and ears. Is it dandruff?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dogs skin is always flaky I don't know if it's dandruff or he has dry skin , his paws are also dry and the ends of his ears

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM 105

Veterinarian

Published on May 13th, 2017

Hello. Sorry to hear that Rugrat is having this issue. Dry skin can be the result of many different things. Usually it is a symptom of something underlying and not a primary disease. It could be related to his diet, an allergy, a problem with his immune system, a skin parasite, or any number of other things. It would be best to take him to a vet for an exam so they can try to find the underlying cause. It's not normal for a dog his age to have such flaky skin. In the meantime you can get him a special shampoo to help with the dandruff like this one: http://www.naturalpets.com/dbepeplsh8.html?gclid=CMmp7-rh7tMCFYl3fgodZywDjg Lather the shampoo, let it sit on his skin for 5-10 minutes and then rinse well. The shampoo needs the contact time with the skin to work so be sure to leave it on at least 5 minutes. Wash him 2-3 times a week to start then go down to 1-2 times a week until it seems under control. This may help but it will not fix the underlying cause. He still should see a vet for an exam. I hope this helps. Best wishes! Dr. Amber

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My dog has dry, flaky skin, paws, and ears. Is it dandruff?

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