Why does my dog have a raw, greasy rash with yellow crust on her tail?

Poor Dahlia! That area definitely looks quite raw and sore. There are a few different things that can cause skin rashes and crusty areas like this. The most common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment. In the meantime, you can try bathing the affected area with an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo - this will probably not do much to treat the underlying problem, but may help to remove some of the crusty discharge and soothe her skin until you are able to see the vet.

Unfortunately, you can’t tell the cause of the rash just by looks alone. It’s possible this is related to fleas in the environment or that this is an allergic reaction. This could also be related to hypothyroidism. I recommend to discuss treating him with a good flea product like Simparica with his veterinarian. If you must use an over-the-counter product, use Frontline. This is still a good product but there are some resistance with fleas. Make sure to protect the area from any licking or scratching with an Elizabethan collar. You can wash the area once a day and rinse it well. Start him on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. If this does not start to look better within a week or if it starts to get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thanks for posting! That tail looks very raw! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Hunter's skin/ hair condition may be without examining Hunter first, but I can offer some possibilities. Skin irritations around the tail base are a signal of a flea allergy. It only takes one flea to induce a flea allergy! If Hunter is not on any flea preventative monthly, then this could be the culprit. It could also be a bacterial or yeast infection. our veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a few simple skin tests. I would recommend Hunter visit his vet soon to have the possibilities above ruled out. He may need flea preventative/treatment as well as an anti-inflammatory and antibiotics/anti fungals. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It sounds like your pup needs to go back to the veterinarian. If you don't trust the clinic, I recommend to get a second opinion. I'm not sure I understand if the tech addressed the rash or not. The tech cannot prescribe any medication or treatment. If they did see the rash, they can't do anything about it. They can only express anal glands and can give limited advice. Only the veterinarian is licensed to actually treat the rash. If your pet did not get examined by the veterinarian, she would not receive medical treatment for the rash. Every pet is different and some pets may need their glands expressed every few weeks. Most however will be less frequent. This can be a problem in any dog but it is more common in small dogs. There is a supplement called glandex which many pets respond well to. This however may interfere with your food trial and I don't recommend starting it without first discussing it with your veterinarian. Lastly, your vet is correct that sometimes frequent anal gland issues can be a sign of allergies. It sounds like you are on a food trial already. Keep in mind you must be very strict on this food trial and that it will take 12 weeks to see results. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Girl! Without seeing her in person, it is impossible for me to know what caused it. It could be fleas. Mange usually causes hairloss on other places like the feet and face. She likely has an infection from chewing. I would first put a cone collar on her to prevent the chewing. I would then start her on Benadryl twice a day to help decrease the itching. If it isn't improving, I would have your vet take a look. Your vet will likely want to put her on antibiotics and possibly stronger allergy meds to help it heal. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

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!

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 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). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. 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!