My dog has dry bumps and scabs on his head after boarding. What is it?

Hello and thank you for your question! It sounds like Rogue has a skin infection from your description. If the bumps are not going away and getting worse, Rogue will likely need a course of oral antibiotics, medicated shampoo and supplementation. If you are unable to get to your vet right away for a recheck, I would start a medicated shampoo such as Duoxo Chlorhexidine PS shampoo, essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent and Welactin omega 3 fish oil. The topical therapy will likely help but Rogue will likely need antibiotics as mentioned above. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions / concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can definitely see the small red bumps your are referring to, and agree that they appear scabbed over. This can be caused by a localized skin infection, an infestation with mites or fleas, or even an allergic reaction. It is likely that these conditions may be causing Hump to be itchy, and she may be having these scabs from scratching. A vet can perform some tests including blood work, and taking some samples from Hump's skin to figure out what is going on and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan. I hope this helps!

If this just appears to be a crusted area and is not raised, it is possible this was an insect bite that got irritated or a small scratch/wound. If the lesion is raised (I can't really tell from the appearance) then we sometimes get warty skin growths that can get traumatized and bleed/crust over. I would wash the area with a mild soap or Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and apply a topical antibiotic like Polysporin or Neosporin a few times day. If she is scratching/rubbing at the area she may need an e-collar for a few days to stop self-trauma. If the lesions isn't improving after several days of this or it starts to get larger/other spots appear then these would be reasons to seek veterinary care.

I would guess from your description that these might either be from a bacterial skin infection like puppy pyoderma, or folliculitis. Both of these problems will sometimes resolve without treatment if they are mild enough. I would not recommend picking at any skin lesion. If they are not resolving in the next week or so, or if Hummel seems itchy or begins losing hair I’d recommend seeing your veterinarian.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In theory this could be a growth but in reality that is unlikely just based on the size and general appearance. I would encourage you to check in with your veterinarian to check for this possibility so that therapy can be used accordingly. If it is just an infection, your veterinarian may put her on an anti-microbial shampoo. Best of luck!

This looks like an area that was scraped and now has a secondary bacterial infection. Please clean the area with a warm wet cloth and once rinsed and dried apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. By washing it you should remove the dried up crusty skin. It may look more irritated but having it clean and open to the air it should heal more quickly. The rest of the skin looks fine. It may take several weeks or more to have the fur fill in. If you see more areas like this then an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause is in order. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Stella.

Hello. It looks like Sam has some pretty significant dermatitis going on, most likely caused by a staph infection in his skin. But allergies, auto-immune disease & even some hormonal imbalances/diseases can cause skin symptoms like this. He really needs to be seen by a veterinarian, preferably one with a specialty in dermatology, if possible. In the meantime, I would be bathing him in an antibacterial shampoo, one with benzoyl peroxide, or 2-4% chlorhexidine. Most pet retailers carry something. Soap him up for 10 minutes before sensing thoroughly, & repeat the bath every few days, or at least twice a week. It may take 4-6 weeks to see results, but if you can have this looked at first hand, that would be best. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.