My dog has dry skin, balding, and sores. What home remedies help?

I'm sorry to hear that Bubblu is having this problem! Skin issues like this can be very frustrating to deal with. Unfortunately, it's hard to suggest any specific treatment options that might be helpful without a diagnosis - different types of skin disease require different treatment, so it's important to find out what the problem is first. I'm wondering if your vet has ever done any testing to help determine what is causing Bubblu's skin problems - things like a skin scrape, skin cytology, bacterial or fungal skin cultures, allergy testing, or blood work. If so, it would be helpful to know the results. If not, the next step at this point would definitely be to have some testing done to help diagnose the problem - if your current vet has not suggested or recommended this, I would seek a second opinion from another local vet or request referral to a veterinary dermatologist. In the meantime, you could certainly try something like a medicated bath with aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to help soothe his skin a bit - this will not treat the underlying problem, but may at least help to make him a little more comfortable until you can get a diagnosis and a more definitive treatment plan.

Oh dear, poor Bullet! Fleas can be tricky to manage and some dogs can actually be allergic to flea bites, causing them to scratch even more intensely and some can then develop a bacterial skin infection from all of their scratching. Since you are describing sores and scabs down Bullet's back, that is my concern for him at this point. While a vet visit would certainly be ideal, I can understand your financial constraints and there are some medications that you can try at home. For flea management, start by giving Bullet a Capstar tablet ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=10902 ) that will initially kill all adult fleas. However, the flea eggs will hatch and grow, so be sure to also start him on a high quality flea and tick preventative. K9 Advantix II ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=23033 ) is my favorite over the counter option, but there are good oral flea and tick preventatives (such as Nexgard and Bravecto) that are prescription-based. Be sure to keep Bullet on one of these flea preventatives every single month to break the flea egg-larvae-adult life cycle. As for the scabs on Bullet's back, you can try a medicated antiseptic shampoo ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982). Temporarily putting an e-collar (cone) on him will also be helpful to prevent him from chewing on his skin, causing further skin irritation. If these strategies are unsuccessful, the only other option is to take him to the vet. I understand your financial concerns, but fortunately there are some resources available to help. Care Credit (carecredit.com) can provide financing options. There are also many non-profit organizations that provide financial assistance for veterinary care (redrover.org, humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962, bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets, lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/, https://getyourpet.com). I hope that all goes well!

There is no home remedy I would recommend - it sounds like Cashew could have flea dermatitis and/or a secondary bacterial skin infection. I would recommend having a vet examine Cashew's skin to determine whether or not he might need oral or topical antibiotics or even a corticosteroid to help with inflammation and itching.

Poor Maxx. Allergies are no fun, you can try a few at home remedies, but if he doesn't get relief he honestly may need a veterinary visit. Antihistamines can be hit or miss in dogs but you can certainly try Benadryl twice daily if it gives him some relief. You can also soak his feet in lukewarm Epsom salt solution once or twice daily. Malaseb shampoo may help if there is any yeast or bacterial infection component to his itching. When using the medicated shampoos I typically recommend lathering them up, especially affected areas and allowed to soak for up to 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing. If you have a crate or someplace Maxx can hang out while sudsy that helps. And for dogs that will not leave their feet alone I strongly recommend getting an E collar. Sometimes you have to break the cycle of the scratching and licking before seeing any improvement. If there are open sores or very raw areas I would recommend trying to do a veterinary visit as that indicates secondary infection and will likely need systemic treatment as well. I hope Max gets some relief soon thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Sketch. The symptoms that you are describing sound very similar to a pet that has a flea problem. It might be a small number so you may not see them if you look at the area. The first thing I would do is apply a flea medication to Sketch, if you haven’t already. After using a topical most veterinarians recommend no baths for 2-3 days after so that the product can be fully absorbed. Another possible explanation is that Sketch has a hot spot or another type of skin infection. I would recommend using one of the anti-itch shampoos to bathe Sketch first. Some of the hot spot sprays have ingredients that can be quite irritating. Another important thing to do is prevent Sketch from getting to the area, with an e-collar or possibly an oversized T-shirt. If none of these things help, I would recommend having Sketch seen by a veterinarian so that they can help figure out exactly what is going on. Hope this helps, good luck!

Those spots on Riley 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 and he may need to wear and Elizabethan collar at all times. Since he is still licking the lesions, it's hard to know if the changes to the lesions are a sign of recovery or a worsening. You MUST stop the licking. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined again by the veterinarian who may prescribe additional medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. Without knowing exactly what the underlying cause of this irritation, it is very difficult to make any recommendations other than to see your veterinarian. And I encourage this because the skin really looks almost infected now, & that is worrisome. This is an unusual area to just develop an allergy or sensitivity, but that being said, if you do not see fleas on any of your pets, do not assume you have none. Start using a good product for fleas, & I recommend Bravecto because it will also address skin mites if this might be the cause. The cone was an excellent thing to do, so great job there. But I do think you will need professional help to be able to address this skin infection. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.