Why does my pet have a bald spot and discharge near its tail?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Smokey! I am concerned that it could be a ruptured anal gland abscess. I recommend that you have Smokey seen today by a Vet especially since it looks worse today. His anal glands should be checked and if a ruptured anal gland it should be assess to see if surgery is indicated. Otherwise they are treated with an E-collar, antibiotics and pain medications. You can always post a picture, I'd be happy to look at it. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the picture, I suspect that this is a pustule that ruptured and crusted over. This could be due to a localized skin infection or this could be a fungal infection such as ringworm. The vomiting is likely unrelated so I would not worry about that as long as he is improved. For the skin, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the area so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. A topical and / or oral medication may be needed for treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. Without knowing exactly what the underlying cause of this irritation, it is very difficult to make any recommendations other than to see your veterinarian. And I encourage this because the skin really looks almost infected now, & that is worrisome. This is an unusual area to just develop an allergy or sensitivity, but that being said, if you do not see fleas on any of your pets, do not assume you have none. Start using a good product for fleas, & I recommend Bravecto because it will also address skin mites if this might be the cause. The cone was an excellent thing to do, so great job there. But I do think you will need professional help to be able to address this skin infection. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. It is very difficult to know exactly what this might be, but it does resemble a healing abscess. If she is constantly licking the spot, then you might want to put a light Elizabethan collar on her to prevent further self-trauma. But, if she is not bothering the area, then just keep an eye on this for the time being. Anything you put on it will just get her licking it off & perhaps doing more damage to the skin. Any additional concerns, it is best to have your veterinarian physically examine the skin for additional possible treatment. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The smell usually indicates skin infection, so ideally you should take Jaceky to your local vets to get a course of antibiotics. Alternatively, you can first clip the wounds from the hair and use antiseptic solution ( 4% chlorhexidine would be best) and clean it twice a day. Also, make sure that your dog doesn't lick or scratch the wounds. For ticks, the most effective treatments are spot-on skin solutions that you can buy over-the-counter at pet shops or online.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to allergies, especially flea allergy dermatitis based on the location though other types of allergy cannot be ruled out. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a severe focal infection. I recommend you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as this will likely require local therapy with cleaning of the site, pain control medications and antibiotics. Also, your veterinarian could check for a possible underlying cause like allergies, mites or a foreign body reaction. Good luck!