My dog has crusty scabs. Is it an emergency? What can I do now?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like abrasions to the skin that have healed with scabs. If it’s on his neck it could be from his collar or something that rubs on that area. If it is just those 2 spots and there is no discharge from the area and Titan isn’t bothering them, I would leave the areas alone and let them continue to heal. I would keep his collar off for a few days to decrease more irritation. If the areas have discharge, or are getting bigger, I would take him to the vet. Good luck and kisses to Titan!

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to determine from the photo with all of the hair obscuring my view of the skin. From your description, it sounds as though Archie may have an allergy of skin infection. I would recommend starting the below products and if the skin condition worsens or does not improve, I would have a veterinarian examine the area so that further testing can be done to help determine what the cause could be. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further 1. Welactin omega 3 fish oil 2. Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent 3. duoxo PS chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 4. malacetic conditioning spray and apply to affected area twice daily until resolved.

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!

I'm sorry to hear that Maya is having skin problems. There are a number of reasons for skin problems in dogs. This article does an excellent job of describing them. You could be dealing with allergies (of various types), external parasites (such as fleas or mites), or secondary infections (bacterial or yeast). https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-dog-so-itchy/ This is also an excellent article on itching in dogs and the possible causes and treatments. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 Often the first step is making sure there isn’t any evidence of external parasites that need to be treated. You may still be dealing with a flea allergy even if you have treated the fleas. Once a flea bites a flea allergy dog, that dog can stay itchy for a week. Using a good quality flea preventative product will help treat and prevent fleas. Here is additional information on fleas causing itching in dogs. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952572 I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Maya to discuss your treatment options. Your veterinarian can run a few simple skin tests to rule out fungus, mites, or a bacteria as the cause of the crusting. You will need to discuss resolving any of these secondary infections which will create crusting and make her more itchy. This can involve topical treatments (like shampoos, wipes or sprays) or may involve oral medications. Then you can discuss ways to prevent problems in the future. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

It does need to be seen and treated by a vet but it is not concerning enough to be an emergency. This can be from scratching or a skin infection. Just keep the area clean and let a scab form until you can him checked by a vet this week

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Hannah! I'm glad you are planning to set up an appointment. It looks like in the last 2 pictures that she may have a bacterial skin infection. The vet will be able to tell more in person. We treat skin infections with oral antibiotics, medicated shampoo and something to stop the scratching. Skin infections can be from allergies to the environment or from her food. I do not think the skin issue is related to the tick you removed but be sure to have her on a good flea and tick preventative. I wish Hannah the best!