Why does my dog have a bad rash and what's the best next step?

Heat rash in dogs can occur between the legs and armpit regions, but it is usually not itchy. I recommend that Blue see a vet to figure out what is going on. There are many possibilities for the rash that you see, including bacterial or yeast infection, fleas, ticks, mites, and allergies. It is hard for me to tell you where the odor is coming from, but often yeast has a peculiar smell. Your vet may want to do a skin scrape to look for mites or a cytology to look for bacteria or yeast. Treatment will depend on what the vet finds but may include an anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, or topical medications. While you wait for your appointment, try to keep Blue from licking and scratching the area as he can make it much worse and it could get infected if it isn't already. You can try applying a thin layer of Neosporin to see if it will soothe the area.

Those spots on Blu could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites or bacterial infection. Since it is getting worse, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian. Until you can get her into see the doctor, there are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day (not her whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for your post. It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Blitz's rash may be due to without examining Buster first, but I can offer some possibilities and next steps. Some possibilities may include a fungal infection, bacterial infection, mites, a food or environmental allergy. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and/or an allergy screening. I would recommend Blitz visit his vet soon to get a definitive diagnosis so the most appropriate treatment can be prescribed. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It looks like he has a skin infection. You could bathe him with an antibacterial dog shampoo but he will likely need an oral antibiotic to treat the infection. Call your vet and schedule an appointment for treatment.

It could be that there is something in the home or the new environment that is causing Blondie to have a contact allergy. I would have her seen by a vet. It's not normal to have a rash for a couple of months, and it needs to be examined and treated. She may benefit from steroids and medicated shampoos for the rash, which the vet can prescribe. I would have her seen by a vet first thing Monday.

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. Each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the the rash. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching, if your dog is itching.

This rash could be caused by an allergic reaction, fleas, mites, or a skin infection. I would have your cousin take Mak into the vet tomorrow. The vet can diagnose what is causing the rash, and can treat him. I hope this helps!