Why is my dog's skin flaky, itchy, has fleas/ticks, and vomiting?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear the Grench is having these skin issues. He most likely has an infection with fleas and/or other mites such as Demodex, and also likely has a secondary bacterial infection causing his skin to be scaling and red. Topical flea and tick preventatives that are not purchased from a veterinarian are NOT safe or effective in preventing fleas. I recommend bringing Grench to your veterinarian would can do an exam and perform a skin scrape to see what types of infections are present. Grench would likely benefit from a medication such as Bravecto or Nexgard, which help treat and prevent flea and mite infestations. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Skin issues like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin parasites (fleas or mites), allergies, an infection, or an underlying medical issue (Cushings disease, diabetes). I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin lesions, have any necessary testing done (bloodwork, skin scrape, culture) and start on any treatment that he may need. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Fleas usually cause red irritated skin and hair loss. This MIGHT be from the fleas so you can monitor him for 2 weeks to see if it improves. My feeling is that is is unrelated. I would bathe him in the shampoo below weekly for 2-3 baths and leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing and I would add in a Omega 3 fish oil to improve skin and coat health. Fleas get really bad Aug-Oct so be diligent with your prevention. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19121 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21564

Hello. It is very important to consistently use a good flea & tick product on your pet on a very regular basis because it may be that he has developed an allergy/sensitivity/infection to all the bites. Dragging his bottom could be an indication of impacted/infected anal glands, or the presence of intestinal parasites, especially tapeworms. It sounds like Stitch would benefit form a visit to his vet for a good evaluation of his skin & bottom. He may need the help of medications to clear up all of his problems & make him a lot more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From the pictures that you provided my primary suspicions would be a skin infection. There are some things that you can do at home if you are unable to get to a vet right away. I would suggest starting with a shampoo that is medicated such as Duoxo chlorhexidine PS combination and bathe him twice weekly until the infection is resolved. I would also suggest starting welactin omega-3 fish oil and essential 6 Spot On by dermoscent. If there is no improvement then I would see your vet for further testing and treatments. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text base consultation if needed

I am so sorry that you are having this problem with Gracie. I certainly understand how frustrating it is to watch her be so itchy. I have a few suggestions for you. 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.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2604 Since Gracie has a strong smell to her if she isn't bathed regularly, you might be dealing with a yeast or Malassezia infection. I have attached more information on that below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=466 Malassezia can be very itchy and often requires a medicated antifungal shampoo or even oral antifungal medications to resolve. So, be sure to have your vet do a skin cytology to check for Malassezia. Another option would be to consult a dermatologist. Allergies can be very frustrating to control and working with a specialist can often make this easier. You can find a dermatologist near you here. http://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. About 99/100 times if a dog comes to the vet clinic with something like this they also have fleas. If you don't have him on a good flea prevention then he is likely scratching this location due to fleas. I do think I see some "flea dirt" in the photo. I strongly recommend you get him to the vet for an exam. If he has fleas you need to get a good prescription flea prevention. Also, this type of lesion almost always needs oral antibiotics and some type of oral antiinflammatory to stop the itch cycle for it to heal. As long as he keeps scratching it, it will not heal no matter what you apply topically. If you choose to try and treat it yourself at home, you can use this hot spot spray gel 3- 4 times per day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) You will also need to get some dog boots to put on his back feet so if he tries to scratch the area it won't continue to traumatize the skin. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=dog%20boots ) If you do this at home for about 5-7 days and there is no improvement or it looks worse at any time then he needs to see the vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.