Dr. Bammel and Andie

I have a dog that has developed a skin problem over the past two years. He has heavy dandruff and a strong odor. He bites at his paws and removes the hair. We wash his skin every other day with special veterinary shampoos, and we have tried antibiotics, packing the ears, and cleaning the teeth. It seems like the condition flares up on some type of cycle. I have done research and think my dog might have sebaceous adenitis. What do I use to treat this?

Karla

Dear Karla,

It sounds like your dog is miserable! I hope I can help.

Sebaceous adenitis is an extremely rare condition where the oil glands in the skin become inflamed and are eventually destroyed. When the glands are destroyed, there is no production of protective oil for the skin and the skin dries out. This condition is typically not itchy.

Sebaceous adenitis has been identified in several breeds, but is most often diagnosed in the Standard Poodle. Additionally, it is an autosomal recessive trait, meaning that the gene that codes for the disease must be carried by the mother and the father of the dog. So, given that the condition is quite rare, it is very unlikely that your dog has sebaceous adenitis. However, a skin biopsy is the only way to tell for sure.

What about your dog? When I have pets presented to me with the symptoms you describe, the first thing I check for is allergies.

Dogs with allergies tend to scratch and chew their skin, especially their armpits, inner thighs, paws, and around the anus. Dogs with allergies can have oily skin or dry skin, and they get frequent ear infections. Some dogs pull their hair totally out; some chew at the hair and break it off, leaving it looking shorter in small patches. Some dogs actually chew raw spots in their skin and bleed. You described a cyclical nature of your dogs symptoms. This is classic for allergies. Depending on what your dog is allergic to, he bites and chews with the cyclical blooming of flowers and release of pollens, like ragweed, mountain cedar, grasses and molds.

As for a treatment plan, talk to your veterinarian. A warning: Treating allergies can be frustrating and requires a lot of compliance on your part.

I regularly use antihistamines that last 12 hours in dogs, high doses of omega-3s and medicated shampoos. Sometimes I use antibiotics if the dog has sores on his skin.

I rarely and cautiously use cortisones (steroids like prednisone, Depo-Medrol®, or Vetalog®) because of the SEVERE side effects with long-term use. I also use hyposensitization (similar to people “allergy shots”) and special dog foods with no corn, soy, wheat, beef, chicken or lamb.

If you are still concerned about sebaceous adenitis, I recommend that you schedule a skin biopsy with your vet and go from there.

Either way, there is no single treatment that works every time, so be prepared for some trial and error.

Good luck!

– Dr. Bammel and Andie