My dog has a hard bump on her head. Is it allergies or an injury?

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 (advocate or advantage), 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). 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.

Hi and thanks for your post on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Oh dear, this sounds like Bella has hives indicating an allergic reactions to something she was exposed to. Please take her into a veterinarian right away for treatment. She will need antihistamines and a steroid. Whatever she was exposed to needs to be identified so she does not have a reaction like this again. Best of luck!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A singular small skin colored bump does not sound like evidence of an allergic reaction. Typically signs of an allergic reaction are hives under the skin, vomiting, diarrhea, and itching/scratching. With all else being normal, it is probably unlikely this bump is due to an allergy. It may be a small mass. If you are concerned, you can have this bump evaluated by a veterinarian. They may take a small sample of it in order to determine what it is and if it needs to be removed or not. Usually masses that are fast growing, bleed, itch, or have discharge coming from them are concerning and should be evaluated sooner rather than later. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Those spots on Brody could be several things including an allergic reaction (like hives), allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or skin mites (like scabies). Unfortunately, all these conditions look alike. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Allergic reactions are treated with steroids and antihistamines. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. I recommend to call your veterinarian and have Brody examined again. When pets don't respond as expected to treatment, it can mean that the real diagnosis has not been discovered. For skin health in general, there are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Brody wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Brooklynn. She is adorable! She appears to have a superficial skin infection. I would start by bathing her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based twice per week. This will likely resolve the issue. If it does not, then she will need to see her veterinarian as she may require skin testing and/or an antibiotic. I hope this information helps!

This is probably an allergic reaction due to an insect bite or a plant outside. those reactions tend to resolve within 48 hours without treatment. if the swelling becomes too large or if your dog is lethargic, take her to the vet in order to get an antihistamine injection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that this is likely 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!