If your dog has patches of dried skin and oily, sometimes smelly fur, he may have the skin condition seborrhea. If these characteristics are accompanied by painful redness, he may have seborrheic dermatitis---a type of seborrhea where the skin is also inflamed, according to Merck Veterinary Manual.
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Categorization
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Your dog can either be suffering from seborrhea in its "primary" form, or a "secondary" form, whereby seborrhea is caused by another illness, according Pet Education. If your dog has primary seborrhea, he likely got it from his mom or dad as it runs in the family. Breeds like cocker spaniels, basset hounds, labs, golden retrievers, and English springer spaniels commonly develop this condition.
Secondary
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Underlying diseases that may cause seborrhea include hormone diseases, like hypothyroidism, which happens when your pet doesn't make enough of a thyroid hormone that regulates his metabolism. If your dog is younger, chances are allergies are bringing on the crusty, greasy skin and coat and possible redness, according to Merck Veterinary Manual.
Misconception
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Seborrhea and dermatitis are often confused with scabies, a contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites and often manifested through crusty patches along the edge of your pet's ears, according to Dr. Alice M. Jeromin in the March 1, 2010 issue of DVM Newsmagazine. Though scabies is often associated with the ears, seborrhea can be either localized, presented in patches throughout the body or generalized---presenting itself in more than one part of the body at a given time, according to Merck Veterinary Manual.
Physiology
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Your pet's skin cells are constantly dying, wearing off and then being replaced by new cells, according to Pet Education. When dogs have seborrhea or seborrheic dermatitis, this process of cells dying and sloughing off is sped up to the point where the new cells can't keep up. The result is a buildup of the old, dead, flaky skin.
Treatment
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How you treat your dog depends on whether he has primary or secondary seborrhea. If your pet's skin condition is secondary to another disorder, like a hormone deficiency or allergy, you need to address that first with the proper medication or therapies. If seborrhea is the primary cause, you'll want to rinse your dog with a medicated shampoo, according to Merck. Generally speaking, most dogs suffer from both moderate flakiness and mild greasiness, according to Merck, which means that a shampoo containing both sulfur and salicylic acid is best. These ingredients are antibacterial and antifungal.
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