Dog's skin is red, scaly, and itchy. Is it dandruff or fleas?

Question

I have a chipoo and that will be 2 on January 1st. I bathed him a couple weeks ago and when brushing him noticed he had scales in his hair and his skin on his body is red. I bathed him today and it was the same. He seems to be very itchy with it as well. I checked for fleas and did not find one on him. I cannot afford to go to a vet and was wondering what it may be. It almost appears to be a horrible case of dandruff. Is there anything like neosporin that I could put on it for moisture? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 11 months old | 7 lbs

Jennifer Ladd, DVM · Accepted Answer

My answer to this would include 2 parts. 1) Start him on a fish oil supplement . I prefer the liquid which you can pour over his food. This is a natural anti-inflammatory. I would also add some vitamin E oil in as well. This will help nourish his skin. Neosporin can be toxic to dogs Kidneys, and so I would avoid that. Also, over bathing can dry his skin so I would focus on 1x per month with an oatmeal shampoo or similar product. 2) I DO think there is an underlying issue. a higher quality food could be indicated, but with the itching it makes me think more of a flea allergy. If that is the case you may not see fleas on him, but he is likely developed an allergy to the few that are present. I would start him on a monthly oral flea product.

Dog's skin is red, scaly, and itchy. Is it dandruff or fleas?

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