My dog has a rash under her armpit. What causes it and how can I help?

Hi, it seems like the rash is quite severe and definitely will cause pain. In general, rashes in this area are indicative of underlying allergies and most likely will reoccur. My point of view is to have June seen by a vet so she can receive prompt treatment that will relief pain and inflammation and to make a long term plan. The vet will also go through options that might be used at home once the inflammation is under control. Hope this helps !

It looks like your dog has a skin infection, most likely caused by allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from a protein in her food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, dust, etc. The allergies cause a breakdown in the skin barrier and make the dog very itchy. The excessive itching and licking cause the skin infection. I would recommend taking Rex in to see the vet so he can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up the skin and get on a good flea control. You may also ask about a medicated shampoo, these can help clear up the skin more quickly. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control the allergy symptoms like Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From the photos you provided, this could be a bacterial and / or fungal infection. This area commonly stays moist and can develop a skin infection because of this. I would recommend using Malacetic Conditioning Spray (can be found online) and apply to the area twice daily until resolved. I would also recommend using a steroid spray (Petco has a spray called Well & Good Hydrocortisone spray) and apply twice daily as well to help relieve inflammation. If this does not resolve or it worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are seeing appears to be a rash that could be secondary to chafing. In a young active dog chafing can be common from high activity due to the friction leading to the redness and inflammation that you are seeing currently. I typically recommend using a spray such as malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the area until resolved. This spray will have a steroid in it to reduce inflammation and redness. It also has an antibacterial component to it so that if there is a secondary bacterial infection in this area it will help treat that. To help prevent future episodes, I typically recommend applying a greasy ointment in the armpit area such as Biobalm. This is a product that you can find online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have.

It could be a local bacterial infection, fungal infection or inflammation. You would need to have Lily physically examined by your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis and for treatment. If she is licking at it, place an e-collar (cone) on her. Keep the area clean and dry until she sees the vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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!

This looks like local irritation or infection. You would need to have Belle physically examined by your veterinarian, though, for confirmation. In the meantime, keep the area clean and dry. You can use pet wipes or plain, unscented baby wipes to gently clean the area. Dry thoroughly afterwards. A small amount of plain cornstarch will work to keep the folds in her skin dry. An e-collar (cone) should be used to prevent further licking. This, along with cleaning, may be enough to allow healing, but if not then Belle will need to be seen by your vet. Monitor for lethargy, excessive urination, difficulty urinating or spread of the rash.