My dog has a bad-looking skin infection for 2 months. What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does look like Max has a skin infection. Washing him was a good idea but he likely needs oral antibiotics to cure it. Puppies commonly get skin infections on their belly because they have a weak immune system. I would take him to the vet to get medications started. Good luck and kisses to Max!

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely a site of infection or an abscess. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If an infection is confirmed, antibiotics and local cleaning would be recommended. Good luck and have a great day!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Lina. I didn't see what it looked like before, but from the pictures, I can say that does not look bad to me. I have seen much worse skin infections, and hopefully this means that the medication prescribed is working and her skin is healing. I would keep using the medication as prescribed, and keep in touch with the dermatologist if you have any further questions or concerns. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This for sure looks like a very severe infection and warrants a veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. A veterinarian would be able to check what type of infection this is and treat it. She may have underlying allergies causing this. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. It appears that Bruno has a pretty significant & chronic inflammatory reaction going on in his skin. I would suspect that this may require oral medications rather than topical ointments or creams, but knowing how long this might take to clear up really depends on the underlying cause. If he has a bacterial infection, treatment can last 6-8 weeks, a fungal infection, 2-4 months, & if this is due to an allergic reaction, unless you pursue a desensitization protocol, treatment is lifelong. It is best to have your veterinarian examine Bruno to determine the best course of action. If your vet is unable to help, ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Hopefully with time, Bruno will go great. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection though an examination is needed to know. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. It may be the picture but I am concerned that there may be also a lump as well. If that is the case, that should be evaluated to know if it is actually a growth. Good luck and have a good night!