Why does my dog have greyish growths and a rash in its groin?

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ruka. He appears to have small red areas on his belly. This can indicate a skin infection. While there are many causes of skin irritations, allergies are common this time of year. Humans inhale allergens such as grasses, weeds, pollens and molds. This results in watery eyes, runny nose, etc. This can happens in dogs, but more commonly dogs walk through the grass. This will result in irritation of the underside and paws of the dog. This could be the case with Ruka. The veterinarian will examine him and ask detailed questions about his lifestyle, diet and medication. Skin tests may be recommended. Based on these results, treatment can be started if needed. In the meantime, you can try bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Clyde. He skin looks very sore. Poor guy! When I see a patient with ongoing skin disease, I work hard to determine the underlying cause so effective treatment can be determined. I would recommend he has skin scrapes to look for mites and a fungal culture to rule out ringworm. Then I would start him on flea and tick prevention to rule out a flea allergy. Next, I would do bloodwork on him to ensure he does not have evidence of an underlying hormonal disorder contributing to his skin disease. Short of doing a skin biospy, the last thing is to treat for allergies. Food allergies are assessed by a diet trial with a prescription diet. The dog can eat absolutely nothing else during the trial. It is hard to do, but the only way to assess food allergies. Very few dogs are allergic to grains and the ones that are tend to be Irish Setters. So he could still have a food allergy despite your diet change. There are new medications to manage environmental allergies that are very effective with less side effects than steroids. So these could be an option as well. Consider bathing him with a medicated shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner twice per week. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a skin infection. This may be due to an underlying allergy. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

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!

Hello, and thank you for your question and detailed photos. It looks like he may have a bacterial skin infection. Other underlying causes could be parasites such as fleas, or a fungal infection. I was trying to determine from the photos whether this was related to hives which would be indicative of a sudden allergic reaction. If he also has facial swelling or difficulty breathing, I would get him to a vet right away. If his symptoms are only the rash on his back, thighs and groin area, my first guess is that this is a bacterial infection (pyoderma). This will likely require treatment with antibiotics from your vet, but if you cannot get to a vet in the next few days, you can try bathing him with a gentle chlorhexidine based shampoo for dogs, which will help to manage any surface skin bacteria. I would also think about any possible triggers that may have caused the sudden skin problem, such as feeding a new food or treat, or bathing with a new shampoo, or swimming, etc. Keeping the area covered is a great idea, or you can use an e-collar (cone) to prevent him from licking the areas but still letting the skin breathe. I hope this helps, and that Gizmo is feeling better soon! Happy holidays!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!