My dog has crusty scabs on his chest. When should I see a vet?

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.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. While I don't think this is an emergency, I would get Nemo in to see a veterinarian as soon as you can. I strongly suspect that there is an infection in his skin and he is probably very uncomfortable. Until you can take him to the vet I would clean the area with an antiseptic solution such as dilute betadine (to the color of weak tea) or hibiclens. Both of these should be available at your local drug store. Then dry it well and apply a thin layer of topical triple antibiotic ointment. Do this twice daily. I hope that Nemo feels better soon!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see a yellow, crusted area under the haircoat. This can be caused by several bacterial or fungal diseases as well as mites. There are many underlying diseases that can predispose dogs to these conditions such as hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, and immunosuppression. It is important to have Marley examined by a veterinarian who can perform tests to diagnose the condition and rule out any underlying disease. In the meantime, try to keep the area clean and dry and prevent her from licking or scratching it. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without an examination. However, this is possibly due to a severe infection or even a growth is possible. I would highly recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

In his armpits and on his chest this is a skin infection. I would recommend taking Thor to the veterinarian to get a course of antibiotics to heal this. I would also recommend getting a skin scraping for the hairloss on his back. This may be a skin mite like demodex. I would make sure Thor is on either Simparica, Nexguard or Bravecto. These are oral flea and tick preventions and are used off label for demodex and skin mites. These are prescription so I would discuss them with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Anytime there is an injury to the skin, a scab should form and should stay in place until the skin underneath is completely healed. If the area of Tula's scab was deep, it can take a while for the skin underneath to completely heal enough for the scab to fall off. If the area around the scab is red or oozing or the scabbed area is enlarging, then I would recommend having Tula examined by your veterinarian. Otherwise, it may just take a little longer to heal on its own. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These small scabs, or crusts, could be due to an injury like a fight/bite wound or could be due to an allergy. Allergies can cause a dog to be very itchy and can lead to a skin infection that can look very much like the pictures you have shared. If the spots are widespread throughout the coat I would recommend taking Magic in to your vet to be examined. If there are just a few spots, then you can try treating them topically with some antibiotic ointment to get them to clear up. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!