Why is my dog's skin bumpy, losing hair, and looks like it's eaten?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Toby and for providing a picture of his lump, it's very helpful. That is quite a big lump, and he will be biting his tail because it's bothering him. This lump could be a cyst, abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately I cannot diagnose what it is without seeing him in person. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. Until he sees the vet, I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from biting his tail further. If you don't have one at home already, you can buy one at a pet store. I hope this helps!

It does look like Toby's skin is quite irritated! The small bumps could mean that there is bacteria in his skin (also known as pyoderma) and he should see a vet for examination and appropriate medications. However, there is usually an underlying cause for the itching and subsequent infection. The most common causes would be fleas, ticks, mites, or allergies. Allergies can be from a range of things, including flea saliva, food proteins like chicken or beef, or the environment like dust, pollen, mold, or grass. If Toby has a food allergy, he may benefit from a novel protein diet or a prescription dog food for allergies. These are good things to discuss with your vet. While you wait for his appointment, try to prevent Toby from further itching his inflamed skin to prevent further damage. You can cover him with a dog or human shirt or try to put socks on his feet. If he is licking then he may need to wear a cone/e-collar. You can try to use some hydrocortisone cream on the itchy spots, but don't let Toby lick it off!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly a lot of skin masses can look the same. It could be a Mast Cell tumor (which is a cancerous growth that should be removed and biopsied), a cyst, a histiocytoma (though he is a bit old for that, they end to occur in younger dogs). Any skin bumps that is new, rapidly grows, changes or is possibly infected should be checked by a Vet. They can decide whether it should be aspirated and sent to the lab or removed surgically to send the entire specimen for biopsy. I hope this helps and I wish Boston the very best!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern! What you are describing sounds as though Toby may be dealing with a skin allergy. I would recommend bathing with a shampoo such as douxo PS calm shampoo and bathe twice weekly. I would also recommend using welactin omega 3 fish oil and essential 6 spot on. If this does not help, I would have Toby examined by a veterinarian for the most appropriate treatment recommendations. There are many other prescription options to help treat the symptoms for allergies. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks to be a histiocytoma tumor which is a benign tumor commonly found on the limbs and face of dogs. It is a benign tumor that usually will regress on its own within a few weeks/months with no treatment. Of course, I am just guessing. It is impossible to diagnose these things via the internet with just a photo. Here is an information sheet about histiocytomas in dogs for you to read. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/skin-cutaneous-histiocytoma ) He should not be licking the tumor - if he is, you need to get him a cone collar to wear to stop that behavior. If he is just licking the paw, that is not likely related to the tumor and is a different issue. As always, if you are worried, you should take him to your vet for an exam. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The pinker skin growths in your first picture tend to be benign and are sebaceous adenomas. For some reason some dogs grow a lot of them. The pinker bump in her groin could be the same type of growth or different. If you never noticed it before and she is now licking it it could be infected or a mast cell tumor. The darker spots are darken skin from licking. It could also be a skin infection but it is hard to tell from just pictures. My recommendation is to have your Vet examine that larger lump and the skin in her groin. She may just need antibiotics and itch relief but worse case she may need the growth removed if it is suspicious. I wish Honey the best!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the photos you provided, it appears as though Toby may have an area of infection. I would clip the fur from this so that you have better access for treatment and try a topical approach first and see if this helps. I would recommend using Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved. I would also recommend applying Vetericyn ointment to the area, which can be purchased online. If there is no improvement, then I would bring Toby into the veterinarian for examination so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.