My dog has severe flea allergy, skin sores, hair loss. What can I do?

Oh dear, poor Peanut! Some dogs are allergic to fleas and can actually develop bacterial skin infections as a result of ongoing scratching and licking. The first two photos look most suspicious for signs of a skin infection, but the third photo looks more suspicious for a raised benign or malignant mass. I'm glad that you're planning on taking Peanut to his vet when it is financially feasible for you. In the meantime, make sure that all pets in your house have been treated with a high quality flea preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II (or Advantage, Revolution, or Bravecto for cats if you also have cats in the house). You can also give your dogs a dose of oral Capstar ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=10902 ) to rapidly kill adult fleas in addition to the flea preventatives mentioned previously. Be sure to use these flea preventatives regularly without missing doses to break the flea life cycle! For Peanut's irritated skin, you can try bathing him in a medicated antimicrobial/anti-itch shampoo ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27981 ). Hydrogen peroxide can actually delay skin healing, so I would avoid further use since it is likely to cause more irritation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

It is hard to say what is causing Bacardi's problems. The third picture you included looks like pus, which would indicate infection and would need antibiotics to treat. Some dogs can be allergic to fleas, and it may only take 1 bite to make them itchy all over. If you are seeing scabs from where you applied a flea medication or flea collar, it may be irritating the skin so I would recommend removing it and bathing with dog shampoo thoroughly. Causes of itching in dogs include fleas or flea allergies, mites, or skin infection. The hair in the second picture looks like normal shedding to me, but if you feel it is weird for Bacardi, it could be caused by inflammation or from the extra itching she is doing right now. You can try a shampoo like Dechra MalAcetic Ultra Shampoo, but if it doesn't respond in a day or two, Bacardi should be seen by a vet as she may need oral medications to control the itching.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Belka is having issues with her skin. Open sores on the skin under the tail can be secondary to fleas, but can also be due to infected or impacted anal glands, among others. If she has active sores, they may require antibiotics and an anti-itch medication to resolve, as well as treating any underlying flea issue. She may also need to wear a cone collar to prevent him from licking/chewing at the area and re-aggravating it. I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian and then can start on any medications (antibiotics, etc) that she may need to help resolve it. Good luck!

Poor guy. This does not appear to be flea bites becsuse the area is too large and also is infected. This can however be self trauma which is secondary to a flea allergy. If you see flea dirt (small black specks on the haircoat) or if Tango isn't on a flea preventative, this is a good time to get him on one. I would recommend a good quality flea prevention such as Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica or Vectra/Firstshield. Then I would recommend getting this skin infection treated through your vet. He needs prescription antibiotics to clear this up. Until you can get him in to be seen, you can try cleansing the area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water and then just leaving it to dry. Don't cover the area as this can lead to further infection. Hydrogen peroxide should also not be used on wounds like this or it could actually lead to further destruction of healthy tissue. I hope Tango gets this resolved soon, and best of luck treating for any underlying allergies he may have that could have caused this. Best wishes and take care.

This sounds quite painful for Mejo! Allergies can have a variety of causes, typically including allergies to fleas, food, or the surrounding environment. Allergies cause itching, which can lead to open sores and scabbing that can become infected and lead to further itching, creating a vicious cycle. It sounds as though Mejo needs to see his vet at this point to evaluate his skin for the presence of infection, because skin infections typically require a course of antibiotics/antifungals, and anti-itch medications or corticosteroids to control the itching. In the meantime, make sure Mejo is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Advantix) once a month and have him wear an e-collar (cone) to prevent further skin injury from scratching.

Oh poor guy. It's very difficult to guess what could be wrong from a picture alone. He'd need a skin scrap to look for bacteria, yeast, and parasites to know if any of those are present. I would be concerned about fleas and a flea allergy, and if you could apply a flea treatment to him that could certainly help. I'm not sure what's available where you are, but Revolution and Frontline Plus are two popular options in the US (along with many oral medications which are better but prescription only such as nexgrad and bravecto). Beyond that, I'm not sure what you can do without some testing.

That looks pretty irritated. Its possible that she's got an underlying allergy, but that skin looks infected. I strongly recommend you get in to see your vet. She may need antibiotics. You can try a medicated shampoo and a some topical over the counter treatment for a few days, but if she's not improving after a few days, or if its getting worse or she starts acting sick, get her in to the vet ASAP. Try a shampoo such as this: # and some medicated spray such as: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone