My dog has fleas, biting paws, inflamed and oozing. Is it infected?

Hello. I do not think this is infected, but it is definitely very, very irritated. The best way to treat flea bites is to prevent them in the first place, so do be sure to be as diligent as possible with treating all of your pets, you indoor premises & outdoor environment with appropriate products. A cool water, oatmeal based shampoo can be very soothing. Nene may need additional medications to deal with this inflammation, so you may need to see your veterinarian for this. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Biscuit could have a flea allergy, or possibly environmental allergies. The picture of his paws does look inflamed. He may need to see a vet for systemic medications such as antibiotics or an anti-itch medication if it's not getting better on its own. Make sure he is on a good flea preventive so that he is not getting bitten over and over again.

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!

I am unsure of issues that are in Africa but in the united states if 2 dogs in the same house hold are itching I am usually concerned about fleas or skin mites. I would recommend looking for fleas and applying flea prevention every 30 days. you can try an over the counter anti histamine and anti itchy shampoo to calm the irritated skin. However, if you do not see fleas/patients are not improving I would recommend taking Snowy and your other dog to the vet for a good exam to make sure no other parasites are present. I hope that helps

I recommend you get him checked by your vet - it is likely the damaged skin has become infected and very painful, hence the biting and snapping towards the area. It is likely he will need antibacterial and antifungal washes and possibly antiinflammatory medication to allow the skin to heal. An omega fatty acid supplement and rigorous flea prevention (including household flea spray to kill the eggs and larvae) are also recommended

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.

Fleas and allergies to fleas can set-up an environment for infection. It's possible that this is complicating the recovery process. The skin will often start to heal once the fleas are gone, but it's worth treating for infection by giving a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (can get this at the pet store). It's best to just give a bath with the medicated shampoo once every 2-3 days, until the skin starts to look normal. It's expected that it will take a month or more until Buddy starts to look normal again, so stick with it and he should get through this fine. Treating for fleas is not just restricted to the host, because fleas can reproduce and nest in the environment and continually cause an issue. Below is a link to a short article that explains treating the dog and environment for fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ If the skin problems are not getting better, or are getting worse in the next two weeks, then it's best to have Buddy evaluated by a vet, because he may need additional treatment. I hope that helps and buddy gets better soon.