Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Why does my dog have dry scabs and red skin patches in her fur?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 84 lbs

Dog has dry scabs in hair. Red skin km one spot

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 3rd, 2019

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Opehli seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to shave the area and look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Opehli in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, and put an e-collar (cone) on Opehli to help reduce the risk of licking/scratching at the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions. The lesion in the picture looks like it could be a "hot spot" , and will not heal if she is able to lick or scratch at it. See the link below for more information:
https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952981

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on March 27th, 2018
Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Mayor seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Mayor in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions. Some dogs are allergic to fleas, and can have severe skin disease after exposure to them. The following link has some more information on fleas that may help you get them under control https://www.vin.com/apputil/project/defaultadv1.aspx?id=7955321&pid=19239&catid=&said=1&publicpath
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 26th, 2019
Skin lesions like those in the pictures can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection (like mites or ringworm), dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, trauma (such as from scratches/bites from another animal) or a combination of the above. Some of those lesions look quite deep and are likely pretty sore, so I recommend making an appointment to have Bogart seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Bogart in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the affected area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

What causes my dog's ear sores, scabs, and dry skin patches?

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. In young dogs like Bowie and based on the description you provided, one common cause can be infection by mites that can live in the hair follicles and lead to hair loss, and secondary bacterial and fungal infections that can develop. I recommend making an appointment to have Bowie seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Bowie in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has round scabs, but they don't seem to bother him. What is it?

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Oscar. It is a bit difficult to see the lesions in these photos as they are slightly blurry and there is fur covering the areas, but these could be epidermal collarettes, which are the result of bacterial infection of the skin, often the result of allergies, or potentially ringworm (a fungus) lesions. I would recommend bringing Oscar in to the vet to examine the areas. They may recommend testing by collecting some of the lesion and looking at it under the microscope to see if bacteria or yeast are present, or recommend fungal culture if they feel the lesions are suspicious for ringworm in person.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has scabs on her leg and side, but no injury. What's wrong?

Based on what you are describing, I would recommend starting with some preliminary diagnostics of the affected area just to rule out a couple of things. A skin scraping will be able to mostly eliminate some fairly common dermatologic parasites like mites, though these typically do cause a fair amount of itchiness. The locations you are describing are not typical for a flea infestation so it is not very high on my list of possibilities. Based on the second and third picures, it looks like the hair is coming out very easily and that the skin beneath in the third picture is quote dry / seborrheic. It is possible that Leizel could be experiencing some localized allergic reaction as well. Lastly, a cause of the issues you are seeing can be attributed to certain immune-mediated disease that affect the skin. These are usually only positively diagnosed through biopsies of the affected regions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why does my dog have a scabbed rash and hair loss on her face?

Although I can't tell for sure, the area in the picture appears to be a hotspot. A hotspot occurs when an animal scratches or chews at an area to the point of causing trauma to the skin. Often times these areas are moist and very irritated but a large scab can form after some time has passed. Given the location of the lesion, I would be concerned that Lola has been scratching at her ear. I would monitor her for shaking of the head, discharge or redness in the ears or scratching at that area. If you notice any of these signs, she may have an ear infection. Other potential causes for the lesion other than a hot spot would be trauma, mange or an auto-immune issue. If the lesion is not resolving or seems to be getting worse, I would recommend that you have Lola seen by your veterinarian. They may recommend a skin scraping or cytology to better determine what is going on.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What's causing my senior dog's random scabby sores and skin issues?

Although a picture of the lesions would help to determine the underlying cause, this is probably due to an allergy, but it could also be due to an infection or mites. Old age itself is unlikely to cause anything like you described. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has dry, peeling scabs with pink skin underneath. What is it?

That sign could be related to a superficial skin infection (bacterial or yeast). Usually a medicated antibacterial shampoo preparation is enough to sort out the problem. Malaseb shampoo could be a good option in her case. I would recommend to have it prescribed from your local veterinarian, following a check up to confirm clinical suspicion. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog's neck has scabs, hair loss, and dry itchy skin. What can I do?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Delaware. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian as your at home has not resolved the issue. Scabs typically represent a skin infection. Unfortunately, there can be many causes. She could be experiencing a bacterial or yeast infection. She could also have fleas, mites or allergies. The veterinarian will ask detailed questions about her lifestyle, any previous skin disease and diet. Then she will be thoroughly examined. Skin tests may help her doctor reach a diagnosis. Based on these results, treatment can be prescribed. In the meantime, I would bathe her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. This can help to soothe the skin. I suspect she will need prescription medications to fully heal though. I hope this information helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share