My dog is losing hair and has bumps. What's wrong with his skin?

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bacterial or sometimes fungal infections of the skin can cause the hair to come out in clumps along with a scab. Certain endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism and autoimmune diseases can cause similar symptoms as well. It is hard to say exactly what the bump on the neck may be. This could be sebaceous cyst, an abscess, or small mass. It would be a good idea for TImberlynn to have an exam and evaluation done with her veterinarian. Your veterinarian may take a small sample of the mass to determine if it is concerning and needs to be removed. Your veterinarian may recommend antibiotics and/or blood work be done to rule out endocrine diseases as a cause as well. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Hello. While I cannot diagnose your pet, it does appear that we have a case of bacterial seborrhea here. There may be an undiagnosed underlying cause, such as hypothyroidism or he has developed an allergic response/sensitivity to something, so I would make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can bathe your pet in a medicated antibacterial shampoo if you can find one. One that contains chlorhexidine ( 2-4% ) or benzoyl peroxide should work well. You can bathe your pet 2-3 times a week. I would also start an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as Bayer's Freeform snip tips. Hopefully, this will help to clear things up, but try to see your vet soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Scrappy appears to have a very wide spread pyoderma (skin infection). This is most likely composed of bacteria and yeast. It is usually due to an underlying allergy and possibly a low thyroid level. Your vet can run lab work to check the thyroid level and correct that if needed. They do make medicine to help control allergies but she will need long term antibiotics with medicated baths to clear the infection. It typically is not contagious to other animals or people

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can definitely see the small red bumps your are referring to, and agree that they appear scabbed over. This can be caused by a localized skin infection, an infestation with mites or fleas, or even an allergic reaction. It is likely that these conditions may be causing Hump to be itchy, and she may be having these scabs from scratching. A vet can perform some tests including blood work, and taking some samples from Hump's skin to figure out what is going on and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan. I hope this helps!

Hello. It looks like Sam has some pretty significant dermatitis going on, most likely caused by a staph infection in his skin. But allergies, auto-immune disease & even some hormonal imbalances/diseases can cause skin symptoms like this. He really needs to be seen by a veterinarian, preferably one with a specialty in dermatology, if possible. In the meantime, I would be bathing him in an antibacterial shampoo, one with benzoyl peroxide, or 2-4% chlorhexidine. Most pet retailers carry something. Soap him up for 10 minutes before sensing thoroughly, & repeat the bath every few days, or at least twice a week. It may take 4-6 weeks to see results, but if you can have this looked at first hand, that would be best. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to PetCoach. I'm sorry to hear that Frisco is having these dermatologic issues. The most likely cause is the presence of ectoparasites, such as fleas, mites or lice. If he also has areas of raised pus-filled lesions, he also likely has a secondary bacterial infection. It sounds difficult to have Frisco seen by a veterinarian, but he would benefit greatly from an exam and a skin scrape, which is a test used to look for external parasites. Depending on what parasites are present, your vet can treat accordingly. Over-the-counter flea and tick medications are not safe or effective in dogs, and can sometimes be harmful. You may try to purchase chlorhexidine or other anti-bacterial/anti-fungal wipes online, which may help with any bacterial infection. https://www.chewy.com/douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-dogs/dp/110823 However, if the underlying infection with mites, such as Demodex, is not addressed, the problem will continue. I hope this is helpful!

That is an understandable concern. It appears he has a very bad case of folliculitis, which can be caused by several things including a Demodexx mite infestation, a contact allergy, environmental allergy or flea allergy. He needs to first go on a good flea preventative (Nexgard, Bravecto, etc) and then have a skin scrape/cytology done to look for possible mites. He definitely needs a short course of antibiotics to treat for his current skin infection and then medication depending on the results of his skin scrape/cytology. The vet should be able to get him on the right track if the skin testing is done. I hope this helps and best wishes with Trump moving forward. I hope his skin problems resolve very soon.