My husky has dry, itchy skin and keeps scratching. Should I see a vet?

Its possible this is a skin infection versus the typical lesions Pheobe gets with her allergies. It could be related to her allergies (they can get worse over time) but they can also be more common in thick coated breeds like huskies. I recommend to call your veterinarian. They may want to examine her again or they may recommend a medicated shampoo or other topical therapy. Then again, since she has thick hair, they may also recommend systemic medications. Ask your vet about any additional supplements, diet changes or antihistamines which may also help. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Oh goodness! That does look uncomfortable! It could be just infection, but if it keeps returning then I agree there could likely be an underlying problem such as thyroid disorder, zinc deficiency, pemphigus, or lupus. If I were in charge of his care I would check a thyroid panel and if that came back normal then I would do straight to a skin biopsy. This is the fastest route to a diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer and a resolution soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Shake! Itchy skin can be very difficult to figure out the underlying cause and can be really tough to manage, so I understand your frustration. I would discuss a plan with the vet you feel most comfortable with for long term management of Shake's skin. Most dogs that have underlying allergies are managed, not cured. I would also plan to do recheck appointments to make sure he is improving and you are seeing results. You may want to consider taking Shake to a veterinary dermatologist, if one is available in your area, as they are specialists and only deal with skin issues. First and foremost, I would make sure that Shake is on good flea and tick control to make sure that is not contributing to his itching. Many dogs that have underlying allergies that will often have severe allergies to flea bites as well. Although it is difficult to see what is going on by the pictures alone, I do suspect he has a secondary infection from chewing/itching, that may need to be addressed with oral medication. I would also recommend having the vet do skin scrapes on him to look for mites if this was not done already, and possibly put him on mite treatment just to rule it out as a possibility. Many dogs with itchy skin need multi-modal therapy, including medicated shampoo, omega 3 fatty acids, and oral antibiotics and/or antifungal medication to get itchy skin under control. There are some medications available through your vet for allergic dogs that may help, such as apoquel or atopica. The most important thing to do is follow up with the vet or discuss referral to a veterinary dermatologist to make sure adjustments don't need to be made in the treatment plan.

Those spots on Pedro could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. You may also try treating him for fleas to see if that helps. You may not always be able to find fleas. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zoey. If your at home treatments have not helped, then it is time for her to see her veterinarian. Her skin will be assessed and tests may be performed to ensure that she does not have mites or ringworm. If not, then allergies are common this time of year. Based on her skin, she may need antibiotics if there is a secondary infection. There are potent anti-itch medications that will improve her comfort dramatically as well. I hope this information helps!

Hello! A picture of the lesion would help us give more helpful input. However, if Shiloh's skin is flaky and itchy, it could be a number of things, including superficial pyoderma, demodicosis, sarcoptes, yeast dermatitis, and ringworm. It is difficult to narrow down the causes without doing an exam on her or at least seeing the lesions, but it is very likely some sort of infection (whether bacterial, yeast, or parasitic) so I do recommend bringing Shiloh to the vet. Your vet will be able to determine the cause, and Shiloh will likely need prescription medication (antibiotics, antifungals, or anti-parasite, along with possible medicated shampoo) to clear the issue. Depending on the severity of the issue on her skin, it very likely might not improve without prescription meds, so it is worth having her seen as soon as possible. Additionally, depending on her age, she may have some underlying condition that might be making her skin susceptible to infection, such as allergies or hypothyroidism. I hope this helps.

Hi and thanks for posting! Fleas are one very common cause of skin irritation in dogs and cats. Flea collars may or may not work well. Over the counter flea treatments may not work very well either as they contain ingredients in them that have been around for many years and fleas have built up a resistance to them. Another common cause of skin irritation are allergies. Seasonal allergies are common. Sometimes seasonal allergies can be controlled with anti-histamines and certain other medications from Mia's veterinarian that help alleviate symptoms. Looks like Mia's skin is red and does looks infected. She may need antibiotics from Mia's vet to help resolve.