My new foster dog has bad skin & smells. Is it contagious? What to do?

Pustules and a foul odor are a sign of infection, which could have been caused by fleas, allergies, mange, ringworm, heat rash, or excessive skin folds. Depending on the cause of the infection and the bacteria produced, it is possibly contagious. I recommend that Flippy see a vet as soon as possible. While you are waiting to go to the vet, you can use a calming, antibacterial pet shampoo like Dechra MalAcetic Ultra Shampoo, and make sure to dry gently but thoroughly in any skin folds.

It could be any of those and yes, it could be contagious. There is no way to diagnose a skin condition just with photos. If I had to guess I would say mange is most likely but again, impossible for me to say for sure based on the photos. There are two types of mange - one is contagious, the other is not. I would quarantine this dog from all your other pets and assume she is contagious until you can get her to the vet.

This may be due to an infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites) or even severe allergies. Baby would need to be physically examined by a veterinarian to make the diagnosis. Thus is beneficial because afterwards, the veterinarian can begin treatment. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing until she sees the doctor.

Poor Chestet! This foul smell could be caused by a yeast skin infection, and in a senior dog, there is always the possibility that a bump is malignant. The bump could also be a cyst, an abscess, or a benign tumor. He really does have to see a vet for these issues, and I can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area ,or you can use a credit card to pay for a vet visit. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html?credit=web http://canada.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/pet-financing-options-1264/ http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ I hope one of these helps you afford a vet!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. If that is the case, that is not transmissible to humans. 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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding the stray puppy. If you plan to keep her, she will need to see a veterinarian today for skin testing. She may have mites, fleas, ringworm or another skin problem causing the scabs on her head. I would keep her in a completely separate area from your current dog as many causes of skin disease can be contagious. You will need to know if she has anything that will affect your other dog. I hope this information helps. She sure is cute!

It's possible that your dog and brothers could both be suffering from a contact allergy of some kind. However, dogs can get a number of skin problems that are contagious to humans such as scabies or ringworm, so this is a possibility as well. I would recommend taking your dog to the vet for an exam as soon as possible - he/she can do some simple skin tests to check for these problems, which will help to guide treatment for him as well as your brothers if a contagious disease is found.