Why Does My Poodle Have Dandruff? (And What to Do About It)

It’s movie night, and you’re cuddling with your furry best friend, and uh oh, your poodle’s shedding dandruff! He or she may be possibly itching and suffering from scaly skin! As the heroic owner, there are some things to learn to aid your best friend in their suffering.

So, why does my poodle have dandruff? There are several types of dandruff causes. The condition is often referred to as “scaly skin.” The underlying scaly skin condition can range from abnormal skin or hair follicle development to unknown and harmful disorders. When symptoms are present, a veterinarian can run standard tests to determine the cause and treatment.

Because dandruff can be a result of an underlying disorder, it is important to fully investigate this condition and make sure your fluffy friend is going to be well taken care of.

The following sections will delve into the symptoms you may be able to pinpoint, possible causes to look into, and feasible treatments.

Why Do Poodles Get Dandruff?

First and foremost, let’s learn the technical term. Dandruff is a symptom and a subcategory of what is known as “Exfoliative Dermatosis.” This refers to a group of disorders that show symptoms of dandruff or scaling skin. Some poodles may be suffering sebaceous adenitis that does not fall into this category.

Causes of Dandruff in Poodles

According to PetMD (source here), various causes could lead to dandruff. The common causes are excessive shedding, abnormal skin cell accumulation, scaling, or loss of cell adherence.

Sebaceous Adenitis

Unfortunately, poodles and standard poodles are one of the many breeds that are more prone to dry skin conditions causing dandruff and scaling

In many cases with poodles, sebaceous adenitis causes dry skin, and it is oftentimes accompanied by hair loss on the head, back, or neck. Fortunately, sebaceous adenitis will most likely not affect your poodle’s health.

This condition often appears on a poodle between the age of one and five years and is suspected of being an inherited trait. For instance, It is more prominent in apricot-colored poodles.

Dry Skin from Grooming Products

Keep in mind that poodles are regularly-groomed breeds and, therefore, can become sensitive to the excessive exposure of products on their coats. For older poodles, dry skin could be from this sensitivity, or from oil-producing glands lacking in productivity.

If you suspect your grooming product is causing an issue, you may switch to gentler, oatmeal-based products. Once your veterinarian determines the cause of your poodle’s dandruff, you can discuss alternative shampoos.

Diet or Allergies

It’s entirely possible that the cause of your poodle’s dandruff is diet-based or a reaction to an allergy. Again, your veterinarian can determine if this is the case and may recommend adding a healthy oil, such as Omega-3, to your dog’s diet.

There are other causes for dogs to have scaly skin, though. It’s important to consider other root causes to ensure your fluffy friend is not suffering any diseases. We’ll cover potential causes in detail below, and, further on, we’ll talk about treatments for your poodle’s condition.

Underlying Health Issues as the Cause of Poodle Dandruff

This first list includes the primary condition that results in dandruff and scaling on the skin. This is usually biological and the underlying disease. The second list is the second condition, which is most often a result of the primary condition or a consequence of it.

Secondary Conditions
Cause	Description and Related Symptoms
Tumors of the skin	Abnormal growths of the tissue. This could be malignant or benign. This may result in hair loss and produce scales at the expense of the damaged skin.
Parasitic infection	Unhealthy parasites that infest the skin. (Some parasites such as cheyletiellosis the “walking dandruff,” demodicosis, (and mange)
Bacterial Infection	Bacterial infection of the hair follicles (also due to primary infections that leave the skin susceptible to infections)
Skin Inflammation	Inflammation caused by a yeast, Malassezia.
Skin infections	Evident by the pus formed by infection (pyoderma)
Hormonal disorders	(Also known as Endocrinopathies). Related to the thyroid hormone – hypothyroidism and excess steroids from the adrenal glands. Symptoms: This leads to excessive surface skin cells and pus. Sex hormone abnormalities may also lead to excessive scaling
Age-related (seen in older dogs due to natural alterations associated with aging)	Senior pets with dry, brittle, and scaly scalp due to hormonal changes, and oil gland production, and natural alteration in the body.
Nutritional disorders and reactions	May be caused by malnutrition and diets consisting of a generic dog food. This alters the normal replacement of the shedding skin cells and results in accumulated surface skin cells.
Diabetes mellitus	Sugar diabetes; Such as the hormonal disorder, you will see excessive scaling.
Diseases of the immune system	An autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the self.
Increased Sensitivity	Increased reactivity to foreign agents on the skin. It could react like an allergy (pollen allergy, flea bite allergy, and other substances found in the environment.)

In some cases, the cause remains unknown (idiopathic seborrhea, in which too much oil is produced). As mentioned above, there are symptoms that may be known, such as hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin), but also do not have a known cause.

Vitamin or Mineral Deficiency

The causes listed below refer to several breeds of dogs, but it is still good to reference and check vitamin and zinc deficiencies for your poodle. Your pet’s skin may be reacting to a poor-quality diet.

• Vitamin A deficiency – may seem like idiopathic seborrhea but is detected by the response to vitamin A supplements.
• Zinc deficiency – results in hair loss and accumulation of surface skin cells. There are dry discharges on the surface, and reddening effects are seen around the eyes, ears, feet, lips, and external cavities.

I feed my dog high-quality food from Pet Plate. Pet Plate is a premium dog food subscription service that provides freshly cooked and pre-portioned meals, and snacks, completely customized for your dog. I really love the fact that Pet Plate delivers the highest quality meals to my door without me ever having to think about it! Check out Pet Plate here to find more information and see if Pet Plate is right for you and your pet.

For more information on these conditions, refer to PetMD or Tri-Country Animal Hospital to reach out to professional help.

Symptoms of Dandruff to Check for on Your Poodle

Symptoms	(Physical) Characteristics
Scales (often excessive)	Fine white particles (commonly known as dandruff) and course scale sheets.
Itchiness	Continuously scratches skin
Accumulated scales	Accumulation of dry or greasy patches of scales in localized areas. Often attached to certain areas of the hair coat.
Excess Scales and Crust on the nasal planum (a flat area of the nose) and footpad margins	Dry areas or presence of crusts in the flat region of nose or footpad margins. These crusts could signify a secondary bacterial infection.
Hair Loss (alopecia)	Random patches of hair loss throughout the pet/poodle’s coat.
Smelly skin	Rancid fat odor (common)
Oily skin and hair	Hair follicles filled with excess oil and skin cells (comedones).
Debris on coat	Accumulation of debris found adhered to the hair shaft
Candle Wax deposits	“candle-wax”-like deposits present on coat/hair.
Nails	Nails may also be affected
Skin infection	Inflammation and pus due to secondary infections

Diagnosing Dandruff on Your Poodle

Further on, even if you may not be able to pinpoint a cause, your veterinarian will be able to diagnose your poodle at a deeper level and eliminate or determine the cause of dandruff. It may be a simple cosmetic issue, but it is always important to have her/him checked.

Immediate action needs to be taken for pregnant dogs as medication and treatment options can be limited for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, so make sure to take her to your vet for urgent attention.

As mentioned previously, it will be important to list out your poodle’s health history, and also when you first noticed excessive itching or the appearance of dandruff. The veterinarian will be able to perform a few lab tests and be able to eliminate some of the causes listed above.

Expect the veterinarian to perform standard tests such as complete blood count, biochemistry profile, and urinalysis. Importantly, they will also inspect the skin.

Standard tests	Description
Skin scrapings	Obtains superficial dead layers of the skin for testing
Skin biopsy	Surgery. A small sample of skin is removed and tested for determining the diagnosis. This method will be able to identify whether your poodle simply has sebaceous adenitis.
Skin allergy (intradermal skin testing)	Checks for immediate allergic reactions by a puncture or scratch method
Testing for Ectoparasites	Inspecting for skin parasites by methods of skin scraping, coat brushing, hair/fur plucking, tape strip, or serology.
Food elimination trial	Prescription diet to diagnose possible food allergy.

Treatments for Your Poodle’s Dandruff

The most important action is that you are looking into this by researching and learning the condition for your poodle’s health. This is crucial because your fluffy friend will need your TLC regularly to remain healthy and safe from diseases.

Ointments and Shampoo

For Sebaceous Adenitis, some treatments can be disappointing. Often, the conditions can improve or worsen. If the condition is not severe, the poodle may be provided with anti-seborrheic shampoo and fatty acid supplements to lessen the effect.

In most cases, bathing will be necessary to remove the scales, but it will dry the poodle’s skin even more. To compensate, a veterinarian will most likely prescribe a topical medication and a moisturizing ointment.

There are options for hydrating shampoos that you could try switching to. I recommend the Warren London 8oz Butter Combo – Premium Dog Shampoo & Conditioner. If you want to take a closer look on Amazon, click here. This is a natural remedy that you could try if you think it is a minor dry skin condition from the products your poodle is using.

Natural Remedies

Some people recommend natural treatments for pet owners that do not want to add medications to their poodle’s life. Unfortunately, none of these have been scientifically supported as of yet. However, some veterinarians recommend adding omega oil to your poodle’s diet and increasing salmon in their diet to help the skin.

Shampoo and Topical Treatments

Depending on the root cause of the condition, there will be treated depending on the proper diagnosis by your veterinarian. For each primary and secondary condition, it may be necessary to have several treatments to control all conditions.

Most importantly, as mentioned above, topical therapy of applying medicine to the skin of your poodle will be a frequent treatment. Depending on your veterinarian’s prescription, you may have a shampoo that needs to be left on your dog’s body for a certain amount of time (generally ranging from 5 to 15 minutes).

You will need to pay close attention to applying this topical therapy appropriately to retain and maintain your poodle’s skin balance. This is where your TLC will come into play!

There will be various types of topical formulas that will be prescribed at a certain dosage. This will all depend on your dog’s condition, but also his/her scaling and reaction. Here are a few formulas to be familiar with:

Shampoo/Formula	What it Does
Sulfur/Salicylic acid Shampoo	This softens and loosens the crusts and scales on the skin. This also slows the growth of bacteria – bacteriostatic. (Not overly drying and known for better cell turnover)
Benzoyl peroxide shampoos	Stronger option in comparison to the salicylic acid shampoo. Softens and loosens the crust and scales. It destroys bacteria or slows their growth and multiplication – antimicrobial. This shampoo also flushes out the hair follicles; it may result in severe dryness; therefore, increased irritation. This is best for extreme oiliness and bacterial infections that are persistent.
Hypoallergenic shampoo	Used in mild cases and/or after the primary condition has been treated and controlled.
Ethyl lactate shampoo	For bacterial infection at the hair follicles and scales, but not as harsh as the benzoyl peroxide shampoo.
Chlorhexidine	Chemical antiseptic (which kills or slows the growth of microorganisms). Used to treat bacterial infections at the hair follicles and inflammation (specifically caused by Malassezia yeast infection).
Tar shampoo	Soften and loosens crust and scales on the skin. Decreases itchiness and a moderate level of grease. The main benefit is for mild scales paired with itchiness. This product is a carcinogen and not widely available.
Bacteria control	Minimize microbes or bacteria on the skin; for severe or moderate bacterial infection

Moisturizer

Along with the shampoos, there will be moisturizers mandatory to retrieve the moisture for your poodle’s skin. Additionally, moisturizers increase the effectiveness of the shampoos.

Moisturizer	Description
Humectants	Attracts water to the skin surface and enhances hydration. It can be used to loosen crusts and scales if concentrated.
Polypropylene glycol spray (diluted with water)	Must be diluted. Use as directed by your veterinarian
Microencapsulation	A moisturizer is in a capsule that is controlled by a sustained release after bathing.
Emollients	Soften and soothes the roughened skin from scaling by coating the skin.

It is important to keep all the areas of treatment sterile. Some of the conditions under the category of Exfoliative Dermatosis can be contagious (Zoonotic Potential).

Without precaution, this could potentially be passed onto your other pets, animals, and yourself. During initial treatment, especially, make sure direct skin contact is minimal and maintain a sterile environment during and after treatment.

Medical Treatments for Dandruff in Poodles

For other diseases that are underlying the dandruff condition, the veterinarian might prescribe medications. As all prescriptions go by the same rule, it is important to follow the schedule the vet sets for the pills to be taken, and also to remain consistent and complete all dosages correctly.

Medication	Condition Prescribed For
Antibiotics	For cases in which the skin condition is due to secondary bacterial infection
Antifungal Drugs	For cases in which the skin condition is due to fungal infections
Antiparasitic Drugs	For removal of parasites on the skin surface
Supplements	For Vitamin A or Zinc deficiencies; The appropriate balance is to be reached with secondary supplements
Thyroxine	For cases in which the skin condition is due to Hypothyroidism

For most secondary conditions, as listed above (bacterial, fungus, parasitic, nutritional, and hormonal), there may be a requirement for repeated treatments. This may need further testing if persistent.

In some cases, surgical approaches may be necessary. For example, skin tumors, whether cancerous or benign, may be recommended to be removed.

Dietary Treatments

As there are symptoms that rely on your dog’s nutritional reaction and allergies, it is important to pay attention to the food that your dog eats. Besides the natural remedy recommendation, listen to your veterinarian when deciding which dietary modifications are acceptable, and a list of suspected food allergies.

Dietary modifications will be mainly for food allergies and nutritionally related skin disorders (even if supplements may be prescribed).

Commitment is important for your poodle to maintain a successful treatment. Regular bathing and overall treatment with appropriate ointment and topical therapy are key in preventing relapse of the condition. Your love and care are really what helps your poodle cure!