A spayed Cocker Spaniel with idiopathic chronic generalized seborrhea responded poorly to treatment, consisting of medicated baths and intermittent use of lincomycin and triamcinolone acetate, over a 5 1/2-year period. At 7 years of age, the animal became refractory to triamcinolone injections. Oral vitamin A therapy was not beneficial, but oral use of 13-cis-retinoic acid (Accutane: Roche), at 0.25 mg/kg BID, resulted in recovery within a month.