Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My dog scratches constantly, has red skin & dandruff. What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Constant scratching to the point she's red and sometimes cuts her skin. She's only had 2 baths this ye but she's an indoor dog no contact with other animals or parks. Owner rarely walks her maybe 3-4x this yr. She seems to be shedding dandruff like excess as her hair shreds. Vet said she could take benadryl but owner never tried. After the skin wash she gave owner ran o ut t that was it. I feel hirrible, the owner isn't caring for her in this way. What can I do, he wont let me take her to the ve

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 28th, 2019

She does have to see a vet for this, and leaving her in this condition is cruel. Refusing to get veterinary treatment isn't right, and you can report the owner to animal control for cruelty. If he won't take her to a vet, I'd do that.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is always biting and scratching herself. I've recently remover some of the hair from the bottom of her back and from the start of her tail almost to the middle and noticed severe redness and puss scabs. The area was also kind of damp but on he
Poor princess. I would be concerned about possible allergies. The most common type of allergies are food, flea and environment. I would highly recommend applying flea prevention every 30 days. You can try and use an anti histamine and medicated shampoo. However if it is not resolving she needs to go to a veterinarian for possible antibiotics from the skin being infected secondary to the allergies.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
We adopted the dog yesterday. His skin is very red and he is constantly scratching. I do not have an established vet because he's new. I called about then they couldn't get me an appointment until next week Thursday. I think he needs something to re
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). Douxo PS Calm shampoo (over the counter product) can be tried in the meantime in order to relieve itch. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any m
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello. We have a 2 year old dog mixed breed. He has a bad skin allergy and irritation. He keeps scratching that sometimes he cuts himself. We don’t know what to do.
If you haven't yet had him seen by a vet, ideally I would recommend that you have him evaluated. He may have a secondary bacterial infection that needs to be cleared up with antibiotics, and he may benefit from prescription medications such as Apoquel which can make a big difference for these guys! If you are unable to get him to the vet, you can try him on an antihistamine such as Benadryl. See here for dosing info: https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/benadryl/. Try switching him to a "sensitive skin" food, such as this: (this s actually what I feed my dog who has some skin allergies/dry skin/itchiness) https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/hills-science-diet-adult-sensitive-stomach-and-skin-chicken-recipe-dry-dog-food You can also give some Omega 3 supplements, as this may help as well. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetri-science-laboratories-omega-3-6-9-dog-and-cat-gel-caps Bathe him once a week to cut down on topical allergens being absorbed
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a Japanese mastiff he is 3 years old, we adopted him 2 months ago. He bites himself quite a bit and scratches and has started losing hair in armpits and back knees. I haven't been able to take him to a vet because he has an extreme fear of car
It sounds like he could have some allergies with a secondary skin infection. He really should be seen by a vet to diagnose and treat. Your vet can do a skin scrape, cytology, and or culture to help diagnose. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, hypoallergenic diet, and/or other medications. You could also bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo, like Epi-Soothe, and add Free Form Snip Tips to his diet to see if that helps keep his skin and coat healthy. If you can't take him to a vet, you might be able to find a mobile vet that can come to your house to treat him. Also make sure to use a monthly flea prevention, like NexGard, Frontline, or Advantage to prevent fleas and ticks.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My dog keeps scratching! I’ve bathe her in this oatmeal sensitive skin dog soap and she’s still scratching, her skin is red! What do I do? I don’t have money for the vet
This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If Roxie isn't up to date on her flea treatment, I can give you one for her. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see i
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi! Someone I know is desperate for help because his dog (1 year old brazilian fila mix) has a really bad skin condition. He lives in a town with no vets and no one to help. He said she scratches her skin a lot and it gets thick and eventually hair f
unfortunately that seems very extensive and is unlikely to get better with a vet's care and prescription medicine. You can find medicated shampoo at pet stores or online and do weekly bathes. Ideally she would have a skin scraping performed to check for mange, but they do make prescript flea medicine that helps with mange treatment also they can look into. The area just needs to stay as clean as possible to keep the infection under control and minimize scratching as best they can to keep it from getting worse.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Dog dandruff and itch ing problem .ten month old Rottweiler.
Your dog may have allergies, a bacterial infection, fleas, or mange. If he hasn't had a skin scraping to rule out parasites, or skin cytology/culture to look for bacterial or yeast infection, these things should be done. Some dogs actually have skin tumors or autoimmune skin disease that is causing the itching, and those dogs need to have fine needle aspirates or skin biopsies taken for diagnosis. Also, you should try a veterinary prescription allergy diet like Hills z/d for 8-10 weeks fed exclusively to treat potential food allergies. I have had great success with the oral pill Apoquel for allergies as well, and this is a medication that is much safer to use long-term than steroids like prednisone. If this course of diagnosis and/or treatment is not possible with your current veterinarian, pursue a second opinion somewhere else. If all of these options are explored and your dog is still itchy and miserable, it's time to go to a veterinary dermatologist specialist for help.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my dog has been scratching constantly since I brought her home form the kennel on August 20th. She's always been an itchy dog but lately it has been way worse than normal. She is breaking her skin and has red inflammed spots on her hind legs and
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Trisha! It's hard to say 100% in the pictures but Trisha may have a skin infection which can make scratching worse. She likely has underlying allergies. I can tell from the pictures that she likely licks excessively too (the fur around her vulva is red brown which is salivary staining). Plus you mentioned that she is an itchy dog in general. This time of year can also be hard on dogs with allergies. Allergies can be from food allergies (especially if allergy symptoms occur year round) or environmental allergies or atopy (also year round but can be exasperated by food or environmental allergies). I always tell my clients that a lot of dogs need to be on a few medications plus a diet change to keep them comfortable. First things first, she needs to be checked by your vet for infection. If she has a bacterial skin infection she will likely be put on an antibiotic. To rule out food allergies as the cause of her scratching I recommend changing her
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my dog (German Shepherd,4 years old,India) has been experiencing dandruff since quite some time now(4,5 months).Until some days ago, he also was inflicted by ticks(for 2,3 months).He scratches a lot .Anti-tick injection,anti dandruff shampoo ,cream.A
This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then get him to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to stop the chewing/scratching and repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). There is also a nice topical spray available, it's called Cortavance and you can get it at the vets. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider starting on a long term allergy treatment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog showed up with this rash. Any idea what it is? Red dots that have dry skin and shedding a lot.
You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. Each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the the rash. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching, if your dog is itching.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Food Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Prescription Shampoo for Dogs Allergy & Itch Relief Dog Shampoos Dry Skin Dog Shampoos Dog Health & Wellness Dog Skin & Coat Supplements Prescription Allergy Medicine for Dogs Prescription Horse Skin & Coat Care Antifungal Medication for Dogs Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief VetriScience Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Vet's Best Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Earthbath Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Allergy & Itch Relief Dog Shampoos JustFoodForDogs Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief NaturVet Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief Atopica Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief OxyMed Dog Allergy Medicine & Itch Relief PetArmor 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