Why is my dog biting a crusty rash on his private area? Is it serious?

I'm sorry to hear that Snoopy is having skin problems. He is definitely itchy if he is biting at the affected area. I would recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will likely need a medication to decrease the itching and possibly an antibiotic. I typically send home a medicated shampoo as well. The bigger question is why he is itching in the first place. He could have an allergy to something in his environment, diet or even fleas. His veterinarian may recommend testing for mites or ringworm as well. In the meantime, you can try bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based. He should wear an E-collar as well to prevent further self trauma. I hope this information helps!

The first thing you need to do is put a cone collar on him to keep him from continuing to lick the skin. He has scrotal dermatitis (an infection of the scrotal skin) and no matter what you use to treat It with, if he just continues to lick, it will not get better. So, get the cone collar ASAP and then apply this Vetericyn spray (linked below) to the affected area 2-3 times per day. If after about 5=7 days of doing this, it is not better than you need to have him checked by your vet. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-hot-spot-antimicrobial-gel-for-dogs ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello, and thank you for your question and detailed photos. It looks like he may have a bacterial skin infection. Other underlying causes could be parasites such as fleas, or a fungal infection. I was trying to determine from the photos whether this was related to hives which would be indicative of a sudden allergic reaction. If he also has facial swelling or difficulty breathing, I would get him to a vet right away. If his symptoms are only the rash on his back, thighs and groin area, my first guess is that this is a bacterial infection (pyoderma). This will likely require treatment with antibiotics from your vet, but if you cannot get to a vet in the next few days, you can try bathing him with a gentle chlorhexidine based shampoo for dogs, which will help to manage any surface skin bacteria. I would also think about any possible triggers that may have caused the sudden skin problem, such as feeding a new food or treat, or bathing with a new shampoo, or swimming, etc. Keeping the area covered is a great idea, or you can use an e-collar (cone) to prevent him from licking the areas but still letting the skin breathe. I hope this helps, and that Gizmo is feeling better soon! Happy holidays!

The most common reason that we will see circular or semi-circular rings or crusts in a dog is a superficial bacterial skin infection. These areas typically start as a small bump which ruptures and forms a crust. That crust can spread and form a large area of hair loss with crusting around the edge. We can also see fungal infections that will have this same behavior. In order to determine what is causing the problem, your vet can so some simple skin tests and look at a sample under the microscope to make a diagnosis and determine the best treatment for Cooper. There are topical medications like wipes and shampoos that we will sometimes use or other times an oral medication is needed. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I suspect that this may be from him licking at this region in which case it may not resolve on its own. This may be due to allergies and/or possibly an infection. A mild infection could resolve on its own. However, if no resolution is noted, I recommend you consider having him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

In your picture it looks like there might be a small skin growth in the center of the ring like skin lesion, so if there is still a raised area I would recommend seeing your veterinarian. Some skin growths are benign and can be monitored while others should be removed. The areas of crusty debris could be from trauma, or potentially an infection secondary to allergies. If these areas do not improve in the next few days or if new skin lesions develop I'd also recommend seeing your vet.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!