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Why does my dog get a rash on chest, neck, and feet from grass?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Rat Terrier | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 7 months old | 5.6 lbs

I think my dog is having some kind of allergic reaction to grass but I'm not sure what it is! Please help it's all over her chest neck and feet and often gets it on her head!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on September 30th, 2019

I think this may be a repetition of a previous question; unfortunately there is not a specific diagnosis associated to this presentation but few differentials must be considered. I will copy and paste a previous answer regarding it:
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
Vote Icon2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 31st, 2018

    A picture of the rashes would be essential to give you a specific advice as depending how severe the rashes are and what they look like there are several differentials, including cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy.
    Generally speaking I can say that this is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites.
    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.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My puppy has a skin rash after grass. Is it allergies? What can I use?
It sounds as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I would avoid putting anything on the skin until the infection is under control. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
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Why does my puppy have a skin rash on his belly and neck from grass?
Hi there, Yes, it does sound like Ronald is having an allergic reaction to the grass. Sometimes bathing with an aloe/oatmeal shampoo can help alleviate what's going on and decrease the rash, but often dogs need a small dose of steroid to stop their body from having such a reaction. I would recommend having Ronald seen by a vet to see what they advise. I hope that helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!
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