Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 1/16/2010

Question
My 10 year old Scottie has had some minor skin irritation but lately it is spreading. Crusty flaky skin with some red spots, he is scratching a lot.  I just got him a new food with no corn Natures recipe terrier formula to see if this will help....please can you help me.

Answer
There are so many things that cause scratching in the dog.  The crusty, flaky skin is usually a bacterial infection in dogs and that is secondary to something in the skin, like an allergy, mange mites, contact dermatitis, or even autoimmune disease.  Let your vet check the dog to see what this might be and to get him on an antibiotic and an antibacterial shampoo.