My dog has bumps, flaky skin, and is painful to touch. What's wrong?

Poor Nadia sounds very painful! She could be suffering from arthritis or may have injured herself. These bumps and concurrent itchiness could be caused by fleas, mites, allergies, or a skin infection. She has to see a vet today for her issues. The vet can diagnose what is causing them so she can be treated. Please take her into a vet.

It's hard to tell just from the photos because many lesions will look the same despite different causes. Those spots on Mara could be several things including fleas, allergies,superficial bacterial infection or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. I do recommend to go ahead and treat for fleas just in case. 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. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Those spots on Nala could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. 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. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Ace regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.

I would not put any human prescribed medications on Nala as there may be ingredients or chemicals in them that are harmful to her. If she has dry skin, a soothing aloe or oatmeal shampoo can help with dry skin, as well as supplementing with vitamin E or fish oils to help improve the coat. If you suspect mites or parasites, treating those and getting them under control can help as well. You can also place an Elizabethan (cone) collar or T-shirt on Nala to keep her from licking and scratching to reduce irritation as well.

I'm wondering if these lumps are near her anus. If they are, it could be Nala has impacted anal sacs. That would cause a bad smell as well. She could be scooting causing hair loss if that is located around her behind. Hair loss could also be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, a skin infection, or allergies. I would take her into a vet today or tomorrow. The vet can diagnose what is causing her symptoms, and can treat her for it. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In theory this could be a growth but in reality that is unlikely just based on the size and general appearance. I would encourage you to check in with your veterinarian to check for this possibility so that therapy can be used accordingly. If it is just an infection, your veterinarian may put her on an anti-microbial shampoo. Best of luck!