Health
White flakes in the coat, often in winter or after a bath. Sometimes it is only dry skin. Sometimes it is the first sign you see of a parasite or an illness.
Caution. Dandruff with heavy itching, sores, round hairless patches, damp smelly skin, weight loss or great thirst, flakes that move, or itchy bumps on people in the house: book your own vet today or tomorrow, before you try another shampoo.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
White flakes have turned up on your dog's black coat, mostly along the back and at the base of the tail. When you stroke him, a fine dust is left on your palm. Maybe it started when the heating came on, maybe after you washed him with your own shampoo "because it's gentler", maybe after a week in kennels. Sometimes dandruff is just dry skin and sorts itself out with brushing and less dry air indoors. Sometimes it is the first visible sign of an allergy, a parasite or a hormonal disease. This page helps you tell "let's give it another week" from "let's ring the vet", and shows you what to write down so your own vet can get to the cause quickly.
Vets call skin that flakes too much "seborrhoea". A few breeds have an inherited form (cocker spaniels, West Highland terriers, bassets and German shepherds among them), which shows up when the dog is young and lasts for life. In most dogs, though, dandruff comes from somewhere else: the skin is reacting to something, and if you only treat the flakes they keep coming back.
Dandruff on its own, in a happy dog who is eating and playing, isn't an emergency. Ring today, or tomorrow at the latest, if you see:
Don't sit on the last three, because some causes of dandruff (parasites, ringworm and other fungi) pass from dog to people or to the other animals at home.
Stand your dog on a sheet of black paper or a dark T-shirt and brush him briskly for two minutes along the back and at the base of the tail. Then look at what has fallen, with a magnifying glass if you have one.
White flakes that stay put are skin shedding. Flakes that crawl slowly are mites. Black specks that leave a reddish smear on a damp tissue are flea dirt. Take photos to show your vet.
For a week, write a few lines a day, on paper or in your phone:
Weigh him. If he is losing or gaining weight without any change in food, write that down too, because it points towards hormonal disease.
| Cause | What it usually looks like | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Dry skin (dry winter air, frequent baths, the wrong shampoo) | Small white flakes, not much itching | Improves when you change the air and the bathing |
| Cheyletiella (mites) | Lots of dandruff on the back, itching varies | The flakes move; caught from other dogs; itchy bumps in people |
| Fleas | Itching at the base of the tail and the back of the thighs | Black specks that turn red on a damp tissue |
| Allergies (environmental, food) | Itchy paws, ears, belly, face; dandruff follows | Comes back with the seasons or after certain foods |
| Fungal skin infection | Round hairless patches with crusts | Catching for people too; more common in puppies and young dogs |
| Hormonal disease (thyroid, adrenal glands) | Thin dry coat, thin or darkened skin, little itching at first | Comes with other changes: weight, thirst, energy |
| Inherited seborrhoea | Greasy scales, smell, from a young age, in certain breeds | Starts early and lasts for life |
| Extra weight, arthritis | Dandruff on the back and rump | The dog can no longer reach to groom there |
| Leishmaniosis (where the disease occurs) | Fine scaling, mainly round the eyes and on the ears, weight loss | Carried by sand flies; confirmed with blood tests |
The table won't give you a diagnosis. It shows why a shampoo off the pet shop shelf rarely fixes things for good.
So you know what to expect, at an appointment for dandruff the vet will usually:
The vet chooses treatment according to the cause. It may be a change in grooming routine, a parasite treatment, or long-term treatment for a hormonal disease. Ask how to bath him with the recommended product (how long the lather stays on, how often) and when the follow-up is. With skin, results take weeks, because the top layer renews itself roughly every three weeks.
Brush him a few times a week with a brush that suits his coat. Brushing spreads the skin's natural oils and lifts out flakes and dead hair. In winter keep the air at home less dry, with a bowl of water on the radiator or a humidifier. Make sure his food is complete and right for his age.
And go easy on the baths. Quite often, fewer baths means less dandruff.
Plenty of internal illnesses show on the skin first, and dandruff is often the first sign. An hour at the vet's does more than a third change of shampoo.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
Most often dry skin (dry winter air, frequent baths, human shampoo), parasites (the Cheyletiella mite, fleas), allergies, fungal skin infections or a hormonal disease such as an underactive thyroid. A few breeds also have an inherited form. If two weeks of brushing and fewer baths don't clear it, the cause needs finding at the vet's.
It's the common name for a mite, Cheyletiella, that lives on the surface of the skin and looks just like dandruff flakes, except that it moves. You see it best on black paper with a magnifying glass. Dogs pick it up easily from other dogs, cats and rabbits, and it can give people itchy bumps too.
No. Dog skin has a different pH and is thinner than ours, and human or baby shampoos dry and irritate it, which can make dandruff worse. If you wash him, use a shampoo made for dogs and, if he has a skin problem, the one your vet recommends.
It depends on the cause. With dry skin, fewer baths often help more than extra ones. With seborrhoea or infections, the vet may recommend a particular product at a particular frequency and show you how long to leave the lather on. Between baths, brushing a few times a week does any coat good.
Yes. Hormonal diseases, an underactive thyroid for example, often bring a dry, thin coat and flaky skin, along with weight gain, tiredness or feeling the cold. Where leishmaniosis occurs, fine scaling round the eyes can be a sign. If the dandruff comes with other changes, ask for blood tests.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
Claws on the belly at midnight, paws licked red, an ear infection every summer. Behind the word "allergy" sit at least three diseases, each with its own plan.
Tufts on the sofa are one thing. Round patches, bald flanks or a dog scratching himself raw are something else. Here is how to tell them apart.
A round bald patch on the muzzle, then one on a leg, then a red ring on your child's arm. Ringworm is treatable, but with tests and patience, not any old cream.
Sleeping more, gaining weight without eating more, glued to the radiator, thinning flanks. It may be the thyroid, or something else that looks very like it.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.