Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My puppy has dry skin, flakes, and patches. Is it alopecia? Low-cost help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 24 days old | 15 lbs

What is this? What can I do? Puppy is getting patches n has flakes Does he have alopecia? Low income home is there anything I can do

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 16th, 2019

This looks like dry skin. You can try adding fish oil to Blue's diet to see if that helps. For every 30 pounds of body weight, give him 1,000 mg fish oil containing 300 mg of EPA/DHA combined. Since he is 15 pounds, cut that in half. Ultimately, however, seeing a vet is best for him. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a cross breed (German Shepherd & Labrador) 7 months old puppy. From last month his skin was dry & he has little hairfall. He sometime bites and scratches skin. While combing his hair after massage with coconut oil before bathing, small white f
The flakes are most likely the dry skin coming off. You can give him an omega3 fatty acid supplement for sure. You need to use a product made for dogs. I found this one: https://www.amazon.in/Petvita-Ultra-Refined-Omega-3-Supplement/dp/B01IY1E28W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517925023&sr=8-2&keywords=dog+omega+3+fish+oil My favorite product is made by Missing Link: https://www.amazon.in/Missing-Link-Ultimate-Small-8-Ounce/dp/B0002W0S4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1517925070&sr=1-1&keywords=missing+link+dog Either of those would be fine. Don't bathe him too much unless you have a soap-free shampoo. You may be drying out his coat by bathing too frequently. With soap-free shampoo you can bathe often without fear of drying his skin. I like this one: https://www.amazon.in/Nap-India-Virbac-Episoothe-Shampoo/dp/B06XHQMR14/ref=sr_1_11?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1517925172&sr=1-11&keywords=dog+shampoo+soap+free Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I’ve notice my puppy has little patches on his right leg and behind his ear he’s been scratching at them till he gets scars he is an inside dog with all his shot I switched his shampoo to head and shoulder dandruff because I’ve been seeing flakes and
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us aga
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has dry, flaky skin. Is there anything I can do? Could it be allergies?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Dry, flaky skin alone is not a sign of allergies. [Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/) more often involve scratching, hair loss, skin and ear infections. Dry, flaky skin alone can be a result of diet, weather (heat being on inside) and in certain endocrine conditions (low thyroid, Cushings) or other dermatological conditions like Seborrhea. I would start with bathing with a medicated shampoo once weekly. Leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing. Keratolux from Virbac is an excellent product, but really [any mild shampoo](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-grooming-and-bathing/dog-shampoos-conditioners-sprays/dog-shampoos/dry-skin-dog-shampoos) will do. Just be sure you rinse it well; I suggest that you rinse with warm (not hot!) water for at least 10 minutes to ensure that all of the residue is gone. I would also consider adding in Omega 3 fish oils. Choose a high q
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Whats a good product for my dogs dry skin ?
The best thing for dry skin is to add a fish oil supplement to the diet. Something like one of these products. It must be a product made for dogs, not a human product. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/doctors-foster--smith-skin-and-coat-chews https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-skin-and-coat-omega-3-dog-capsules If there is a lot of flaking/dandruff on his coat, you can use an anti-seborrhea shampoo or spray like this: http://www.allivet.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo+seborrhea Finally, if you try these things and the problem persists then I recommend you get Baby to your vet for an exam. Dry skin can often be a sign of underlying illness like thyroid disease. Hope this helps. Best wishes!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Ever since moving to Texas from PA in July 2018, my dog has been having skin issues. She has extremely dry flaky sensative skin. I’ve tried adding oils to her food, or applying to her skin but it doesn’t seem to help as much as I’d like to see. If i
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to skin allergies mostly due to the fact that it started after moving. Adding fish oil can be considered regardless to help with the dry skin. You can use the commercial kind for dogs. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has very dry flaky skin and itches a lot. He has flaky clumps of skin in his coat and suffers hair loss. The hair loss is from chewing. He now has a dark skin clump on his butt\thigh area. But it seems like dry skin too. I will say it is hard
Hello. It sounds like your dog could have allergies which are causing the oils in his skin to over produce. It could be that he's also having a reaction to something, which is causing his skin to flake. I would start by giving him a good bath with an oatmeal shampoo and then if that doesn't help after a few different baths take him to your vet and discuss allergies with them. They can also test his skin for any other cause of flakiness. Hope that helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I have a Wired Hair Terrier about years 25 lbs, at least once a week my dog breaks out I this terrible ich all over his skin, it seems to be an allergy or skin dryness, he gets flaky patches in some areas and he scratched the spot bald. Please
Hello. It does sound like Dyce is allergic to something. It is best to have him seen by your veterinarian to try & get to the bottom of his issues, whether they be environmental allergies, food allergies, or even the presence of fleas or skin mites causing him to itch. We now have very good & very safe products to treat allergies, including Apoquel & Cytopoint. If you can not get Dyce to the vet, you can start him on a good fish oil supplement made for dogs, such as Dermapet & F.A. capsules. Most large pet retailers will have a good selection. You can also bathe Dyce 1-2 times weekly in cool water using a mild oatmeal based shampoo or one that contains either 1% hydrocortisone or pramoxine. These will give short term relief & when used regularly, may decrease the incidence of his allergic outbreaks. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs skin has been dry and looks like dandruff when I brush him. Has pulled hair out on his back
The dry skin, or dandruff, is called seborrhea. It could just be from dry skin but it could also be due to an underlying disease. I suggest you bathe him with this special medicated shampoo 1-2x per week and use the same brand’s mousse in between bathing. Lather the shampoo, let it sit 10 minutes and then rinse. That contact time is important. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6684-douxo-seborrhea-shampoo-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx?SearchTerm=Duoxo%20seb+Auto ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6678-douxo-seborrhea-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=Duoxo%20sebo+Auto ) Also make sure he is on a high quality diet and use a skin and coat supplement like Missing Link for at least a few months. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/the-missing-link-ultimate-skin-and-coat-supplement-for-dogs-283770?ref=dfs ) If all this doesn’t help then he needs a vet exam. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, i found something like dandruff or fungi in my dog’s fur. I am sure those are not just garbage or dust. What can I do for him? Is there any medicine for his fur and skin problems? We bathed him 2 weeks ago, since it rained and the weather still q
Hi and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Sorry to see and hear that Cointhee is having some skin problems. This certainly does look like dry skin or what we call seborrhea sicca. It is in an area that I would be suspicious of a flea bite allergy commonly known as flea allergy dermatitis. So first off, I would recommend that you use a very effective flea/tick product even though the weather is cooling down. It is possible that you have some immature flea stages in the indoor environment (eggs, larvae, etc). Again I am just assuming here due to the location of the trouble spot and knowing nothing of the geographical area where you live. There are other things that you can be doing to help the problem. I would not bathe too frequently. This tends to dry out the skin and strips the oils that are needed to keep the skin and hair coat healthy. So don't bathe too frequently, I would say not more than once a month or so. Do spot bathing if certain areas need to be cleaned but not full
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 7 month old American Pittbull Terrier. About two months ago I noticed he was balding in his skin, spots on his back and stomach. Took him to the vet and was told it may be a food or environmental allergy. He's been on the same food so I know
Hi. Skin problems can be difficult to diagnose and difficult to resolve. Your breed of dog tends to have allergies but as a puppy he may be a bit young for this. He could be having a reaction to something in his environment, have dry skin, or may have a parasite on the skin called Demodex. This parasite can cause fur loss in different areas and is more common in puppies as well as your breed of dog. You did not mention the exact medication that he is on so I cannot comment on that however I would recommend to add a high quality soothing and hydrating shampoo. Virbac has high quality shampoos that many veterinarians use and now it can be purchased on amazon! I particularly like the episoothe shampoo and resicort
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Food Prescription Shampoo for Dogs Dog Skin & Coat Supplements Dog Health & Wellness Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Dry Skin Dog Shampoos Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Prescription Allergy Medicine for Dogs Antifungal Medication for Dogs Dog Thyroid Medication & Hormone Care Blue Buffalo Dog Skin & Coat Supplements PetAlive Dog Skin & Coat Supplements JustFoodForDogs Dog Skin & Coat Supplements Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Dermabliss Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Nordic Naturals Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief JustFoodForDogs Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Vet's Best Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Pet Parents Dog Skin & Coat Supplements Earthbath Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored