How often should I bathe my dog with seborrhea
Seborrhea in Dogs
What Is Seborrhea in Dogs?
Seborrhea in dogs is a condition that affects keratin in the skin. Keratin is a protein that gives skin and hair its form.
In canine seborrhea, keratin is produced in the wrong amountseither too much or not enough. Seborrhea causes dogs to have a coat of hair thats dry and lackluster or greasy.
Seborrhea in dogs can be what veterinarians call primary or secondary.
Primary Seborrhea in Dogs
Primary seborrhea is a genetic disease that always causes the dog to produce abnormal keratin.
American Cocker Spaniels, West Highland White Terriers, English Springer Spaniels, and Basset Hounds are the most common breeds to have primary seborrhea, but any dog can have this condition.
Secondary Seborrhea in Dogs
With secondary seborrhea, an underlying issue is causing your dog to make abnormal keratin.
Health issues that can cause secondary seborrhea include:
Symptoms of Seborrhea in Dogs
Possible symptoms of seborrhea in dogs are:
Very dry, dull coat
Dandruff
Greasy, oily skin that smells bad
Crusted, plaque-like (rough and scaly) skin lesions
Itching that ranges from mild to severe
Large amount of earwax and ear debris
Generally, all the skin is affected by seborrhea, but the folds of skin between the toes, in the armpits, on the belly and perineum (the area under a dogs tail), and at the bottom of the neck are usually worse.
Dogs with lots of skin folds, like Basset Hounds, usually experience more affected skin in those folds.
Causes of Seborrhea in Dogs
The cause of a dogs seborrhea depends on whether its primary or secondary.
Causes of Primary Seborrhea in Dogs
Primary seborrhea is a congenital, genetic disease that typically starts at a young age and gets worse as your dog gets older. West Highland White Terriers, Basset Hounds, American Cocker Spaniels, and English Springer Spaniels are most commonly affected.
Causes of Secondary Seborrhea in Dogs
Diseases and other health issues that can cause secondary seborrhea in dogs include:
How Vets Diagnose Seborrhea in Dogs
Diagnosis of seborrhea starts with a physical examination by your veterinarian to check your dogs skin and look for other symptoms.
You will also be asked how long it has been happening, if your dog has been scratching, and if there are any changes in your dogs food and water intake.
Your veterinarian will perform testing to determine the cause of your dogs skin condition. The following tests could help:
A skin scraping to test for mites and lice
An impression cytology (collection) of skin and ear debris to test for a yeast or bacterial infection that looks like seborrhea, such as Malassezia yeast
A blood chemistry panel to screen for diabetes or Cushings disease (your vet will need further tests to confirm the diagnosis before starting treatment)
A blood test for thyroid hormone levels to determine whether your dog has hypothyroidism
A biopsy to look for autoimmune disease or cancer
Treatment for Seborrhea in Dogs
Based on the test results, your veterinarian will have a better understanding of what is causing your dogs seborrhea. The most important aspect of seborrhea treatment istreating any underlying conditions.
Treating the Underlying Cause
Hypothyroidism: If your dog has hypothyroidism, they are treated with hormone replacement, an oral medication called levothyroxine that your dog will take for the rest of their life.
Cushings disease: Treatment of Cushings disease involves lifelong medication called Vetoryl.
Diabetes: Treatment of diabetes requires daily insulin injections.
Cancer or autoimmune disease: If a biopsy shows that your dog has autoimmune disease or cancer, they will be started on medication to manage the disease, or your veterinarian may refer you to a specialist.
Lice or mites: If a skin scraping finds lice or mites, the veterinarian will put your dog on medication to kill the parasites.
Fleas: If your dog has fleas, a monthly flea preventative will curb flea allergies that can cause or worsen seborrhea.
Vitamin deficiency: If your veterinarian suspects vitamin A-responsive dermatitis or zinc-responsive dermatitis, they will recommend additional vitamins in your dogs diet.
Food allergy: If your veterinarian suspects a primary food allergy, they may recommend a hypoallergenic food trial.
Infection: If your dog has an infection that developed because of seborrhea, then the infection must be treated. Your dog will require a three- to four-week course of oral antibiotics and/or antifungals.
Treating the Seborrhea Itself
To treat the seborrhea itself, your dog needs frequent baths with anti-seborrheic shampoos, typically every 2 or 3 days to start with. These shampoos typically contain coal tar and salicylic acid.
Frequent bathing is continued for 2-3 weeks or longer, until the skin improves. The goal of bathing is to remove excess keratin. Depending on how your dog responds to treatment, bathing frequency may decrease to every 1 to 2 weeks, or it may stay at every 2 to 3 days.
Additionally, you will need to clean your dogs ears with a medicated ear cleaner every 2 to 3 days. If there is an infection in the ears, your veterinarian will prescribe an ear medication as well.
Your dog may also be started on prednisone to decrease inflammation and debris buildup. Regular rechecks with your veterinarian, typically every one to three weeks, are important to monitor how your dog is responding to treatment.
Recovery and Management of Seborrhea in Dogs
Recovery and management depend on the cause of the seborrhea. If a primary cause of seborrhea can be found, managing the primary disease is key.
It can take several weeks for the signs of seborrhea to resolve, and the primary disease-causing seborrhea will need to be managed for life.
It is also important to understand that once seborrhea is present, abnormal keratin placement in the skin will continue to occur.
Using anti-seborrheic shampoos and ear cleaners on a schedule recommended by your vet for the rest of your dogs life helps to decrease keratin buildup and prevent infections.
If your dog gets itchier or develops skin lesions, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Management of seborrhea often requires a lifelong routine of bathing and ear cleaning, but with consistent treatment, your dog can enjoy a good quality of life.
Seborrhea in Dogs FAQs
How can I treat my dog's seborrhea at home?
After seeing a vet to confirm your dogs diagnosis, you can treat seborrhea at home by using an anti-seborrheic shampoo containing coal tar and salicylic acid.
Home treatment also includes bathing your dog every 2 to 7 days on a schedule set by your vet. You will also clean your dogs ears with a medicated ear cleaner every 2 to 3 days.
If an underlying health issue is causing your dogs seborrhea, youll need to follow all treatment protocols for that illness to ensure the seborrhea is properly managed.
If your dogs seborrhea is not improving, however, take them to the veterinarian. They might have developed bacterial and yeast infections of the skin and ears that require a prescription medication.
Does seborrhea in dogs cause hair loss?
Yes, it can cause hair loss.
What does seborrhea smell like on dogs?
Seborrhea can smell very badly, like grease, corn chips, or a strong doggy scent.
Is seborrhea in dogs contagious?
No, seborrhea is not contagious to other dogs or humans.
Image Credit: iStockphoto.com/photo-vista.de
WRITTEN BY
Emily A. Fassbaugh, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Emily Fassbaugh grew up in San Diego. She attended the University of California, Davis for both her undergraduate studies in Animal...
How Often Should You Bathe Your Dog?
Many pet parents find themselves asking questions after adopting a new pup, including how often they should bathe their dog. The answer can be tricky since it depends on the dog and other factors.
There are no hard and fast rules for bathingbut how often will depend on many things, including the breed of dog, their coat type, lifestyles, and the time of year.
Key Takeaways
- Your pups breed will be a major determining factor when it comes to how often they need full baths.
- Products matterespecially if your dog is managing a health or skin condition. Always work with your veterinarian.
- Dog odor tends to be more obvious in the summer versus the winter months.
How Often Should You Bathe Your Dog?
Bathing and grooming are two related but different things. All dogs need regular grooming. This includes trimming their toenails, brushing their coat out, using de-shedding tools for dogs with thicker coats, and cleaning their ears and folds of their skin.
Some dogs will need more frequent grooming than others. However, most dogs will benefit from a weekly once over to shorten their nails, clean their ears, and take care of small snags and tangles in their fur. A full bathincluding a wet down, shampoo, and rinse varies. Bathing too frequently can lead to dry coats and skin problems, while not enough bathing can lead to health problems and a stinky pup. The happy medium may range from bathing your dog once a week to only a few times a year.
Dog Breed and Dog Coat Type
Your dogs breed will be a huge determining factor for how often to bathe them, and how much work this process entails. It isnt as simple as fur length, as hairless dogs like the Xoloitzcuintli need quite a bit of coat care even though they dont have much fur. Other dogs, such as the Puli, have super long coats. They surprisingly need little careespecially after their coats have been corded. Double-coated dogs like Labradorsoften need more de-shedding work than they do bathing, and long-haired pups like Collies tend to get more tangles and mats which require regular care.
As a rule, the larger the dog and the longer the coat, the more effort will be needed to keep things under control, although this may not mean bathing, but more general grooming and coat care. Be sure to research the breed (or mix of breeds) to find out its needs before adopting. As a responsible pet parent, you need to know what to expect.
Health Conditions
If your pup has any health conditionsparticularly those that affect the skinyour veterinarian will likely have additional guidelines to consider when developing a bathing schedule. Be mindful that medicated shampoos may be necessary to treat some skin conditions, and that these dogs may need to be bathed either more or less frequently than the general breed recommendations.
Using the wrong product on a dog with unhealthy skin could make matters worse, so if you are noting any changes in your pets skin, be sure to check it out with your veterinarian before opting for a product.
Seasonality
The time of year will also affect how often to bathe and what products to use. During the warm, wet months of the year, many dogs are prone to greasy coats and doggy odor.Skin allergies will also be more in focus, with scratches and sores developing. Parasites such as fleas and ticks are also more common, further irritating the skin. This means that more frequent bathsoften with medicated productsare necessary.
Dogs that swim in the warmer months may not need as many baths but will need a good rise in clean water post swim. During the winter, dogs typically arent as dirty, but are more prone to dry skin which can be itchy and irritating, so a moisturizing shampoo is necessary. The level of bathing will depend on the amount of dirt and grime on your pooch.
Age and Lifestyle
Puppies and young adults tend to be experts when it comes to finding ways to get dirty. As a result, these dogs often need more baths.
As dogs age, they tend to become more inactive. Some dogs prefer to stay indoors rather than play outside. Senior pups typically do not need as much bathingusually just enough to keep any body odor at bay. You can also invest in some grooming wipes to keep them smelling fresh between baths.
Senior dogs also have restricted activity and may have trouble keeping themselves clean. They may require more intensive grooming, as they may not be able to do it on their own. Some of these pups may start to show health issues, such as urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence can cause dogs to easily soil their coat. If they are managing health conditions, daily wipes and spot cleaning may be necessary.
How Often Should You Brush Your Dog?
Brushing should be done daily for long-coated breeds and at least weekly for dogs with a short coat. Brushing goes a long way to keep fur and underlying skin healthy. Dogs with thick coats will need to have the undercoat pulled out with de-shedding tools, while dogs prone to tangles will need careful dematting.
Most mixed-breed dogs will benefit from brushing a few times a week. When in doubt, brush it out.
Dog Bathing Products to Have on Hand
Before stocking up on bathing supplies, chat with your veterinarian to be sure they are right for your pooch.
Some great products to keep on hand include:
Professional Grooming Considerations
Many pet parents take their pups regularly to have a groomer do all the heavy hitting. If you prefer a particular haircut for your pup, or its time to do a seasonal shave down, these tasks are often best left to a groomer. If you notice your dog has tight knots or has rolled in something sticky like bubblegum, groomers have special tools to deal with the situation safely.
Whether you want to groom your dog or have a professional take care of them, good coat care is not only cosmetic, but also critical to the health of your pup.
Featured Image: iStock.com/Su Arslanoglu
WRITTEN BY
Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVPVeterinarian
Sandra Mitchell is a 1995 graduate of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine.Since graduation, she has worked in many fields...
