Why does my dog have bumpy, crusted skin on her chest?

Marley may have contracted an infection on her skin while in the crawl space, based on contact with something that was both irritating and dirty. She may also be having an allergic reaction to something she is coming in contact with, or perhaps to her food or even something that she's inhaling in the environment (dust, pollen, etc.). It sounds like she needs to see a vet and have these lumps checked out, as she likely needs some anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics to get them to resolve.

Poor girl. She has a skin infection caused by some sort of trauma to her skin. You can try shaving around the area and then cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water followed by a topical hot spot spray from your local pet store. If after a few days things haven’t improved, then it’s best to get Jake seen by your vet for stronger pet formulated antibiotics to get this to heal. Best wishes with Jake and his hot spot. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If this is associated with itchiness, this may be due to skin allergies. There are medications such as Apoquel and prednisone which may help to decrease the itch. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her 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!

Hi there, photos can be shared only through private consultations, which you can take with any of our online vets. Regarding the skin issue, it could be an allergy, a fungal or bacterial infection as well as skin parasites, in most cases it is necessary to take a small sample from the affected skin and investigate it under the microscope in order to find out what it is, your vet can do that in house within 10-20 minutes.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bella! Based on your description I'm thinking Bella may have a hot spot (superficial skin infection) or either a yeast or bacterial skin infection. It likely would be uncomfortable when touched. Maybe posting a picture may make it more clear. But I think seeing your Veterinarian. If it is a hot spot or skin infection then they would like prescribe antibiotics, topical and maybe steroids. I wish you and Bella and the best!

That looks more like a mass from the photograph. Palpate the area and you may be able to determine if there is a lump under the dry skin. If it is a mass, have your pup seen. If it is more dry skin, this could be due to many reasons including ringworm (which humans can get), or bacterial infection. You can try washing the area once a day with antibacterial soap and rinsing it well. If it does not start to improve within a few days have your pups seen by the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.