Why does my dog have red, flaky skin & hair loss despite treatment?

Question

I recently took my dog to a vet and he has been getting injections to treat allergies and itching, I’ve also been using a medicated shampoo. Both helped for about a month and now he seems to be doing worse. Every time I bathe my dog, I’ve noticed red, swollen areas of skin. It flakes each time I dry brush him and most of the hair falls out but it hasn’t created a bald patch. They’re pretty concerning and they seem bothersome to him. I’d like to know what they are and how to treat them. Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male | unneutered | 6 years and 4 months old | 17 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Those patches are likely infection or severe inflammation. The key is to figure out the underlying cause. Those spots on Hershey could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Hershey wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Why does my dog have red, flaky skin & hair loss despite treatment?

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