Why is my senior dog's skin greasy, flaky, itchy, and losing hair?

Question

I have a yorkie/Maltese. 12 years old. He has areas on his back that are brown, flaky and crusty, and there is a red hard looking pimple near the areas. Any idea what this is? He is suffering hair loss, intense scratching and his skin always looks greasy. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 10 years and 11 months old | 11 lbs

Dr. Davis · Accepted Answer

The greasy skin and coat is seborrhea. Dogs get that from scratching. Using a medicated anti seborrhea shampoo weekly will help this. Please make sure you are giving Parker flea prevention. With dogs that have skin problems I like to use pills that you get from your veterinarian rather than a topical treatment as it can irritate the skin and will be less effective if you bathe Parker frequently. If there are no fleas then the itching is probably from another allergy such as from grass or polllen or a food allergy. From your description it sounds like he has a secondary skin infection that will need antibiotics to heal. Finding the cause of the itching and skin problems is important as this can be a recurring problem if you don't treat the inciting cause. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Parker.

Why is my senior dog's skin greasy, flaky, itchy, and losing hair?

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