Why is my dog's fur rough, falling out, and he has dandruff and lumps?

Question

my dog is almost 10 years now, & his previously soft and fine fur has become rougher & lighter on his back. He broke out in rashes a couple days ago on his back, & his fur started falling out. The rash has subsided, but his fur hasn’t returned to its previous soft state or regrown in the areas it fell out. Also, now he seems to have dandruff? Small flakes of skin come off when we brush & scratch him. He also has 2 small flesh colored lumps on his back, not sure if relevant. should i be worried? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 9 years and 9 months old | 23 lbs

David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS · Accepted Answer

Rash and hair loss can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea him with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects. The lumps are probably benign tumors, but this is something i would strongly recommend to have check with your vet as well.

Why is my dog's fur rough, falling out, and he has dandruff and lumps?

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