My Retriever Has Dandruff

If your golden retriever sheds flakes of dry skin, your dog has dandruff. While sometimes the result of a dry or windy environment or excessive sun exposure, dry skin can indicate serious, underlying medical conditions. Some breeds of retrievers particularly are prone to skin or medical conditions, so take your dog to a veterinarian for a diagnosis of the cause of its skin condition.

  1. Medical Causes

    • Diseases of the endocrine system can cause dry, flaking skin, or hyperkeratosis, according to DVM360.com. Cushing's disease -- a hormone disorder caused by high cortisone levels in the dog's blood -- can cause dandruff on your retriever. Dogs with hyperthyroidism may also have dry, flaking or crusty skin. Congenital lamellar ichthyosis can cause exfoliation of large flakes of skin, sometimes accompanied by the skin's discoloration. Older golden retrievers may have epitheliotropic lymphoma, a serious condition that can cause generally dry skin.

    Parasites

    • Cheyletiella mites cause a condition called walking dandruff. These small, white mites look like dry flakes of skin and move around the dog's coat so that it appears the dandruff is "walking." These highly contagious mites can spread from one dog in your home to another -- or to a cat as well. A retriever infested with cheyletiella mites will scratch due to itching that mites cause. A flea infestation can cause itchy, dandruff-ridden skin on a retriever, as certain breeds, such as the golden retriever, have flea allergies. Fleabites can lead to hot spots, which look like infected sores on the dog's coat.

    Diagnosis

    • To diagnose the cause of your dog's dry skin, bring your dog to a veterinarian. The doctor will take a skin sample and may follow up with a skin biopsy. Depending on findings, the veterinarian may also take blood samples to test for endocrine conditions or certain cancers. If the doctor finds no conclusive cause of dandruff, your dog may have environmental allergies. Some breeds -- namely the Chesapeake Bay retriever and golden retriever -- are prone to eczema, skin allergies or other skin conditions, according to DogPack.com.

    Treatment

    • Dogs with an underlying medical condition causing the dry, flaky skin should be treated for that condition to resolve the skin issue. For dogs with steroid-induced Cushing's disease, elimination of the use of steroids usually resolves the dry skin. Dogs with naturally occurring Cushing's disease can receive treatment with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplements, moisturizing shampoos and moisturizing conditioning rinses, according to DVM360.com. These treatments also work on dogs with sensitive skin or skin allergies. Fungal or bacterial skin infections require anti-fungal or antibacterial shampoos or creams. Dogs with fleas or mites need treatment with spot-on topical products to kill the parasites.