My dog's head is oozy, sore, and losing hair. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a severe focal infection. I recommend you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as this will likely require local therapy with cleaning of the site, pain control medications and antibiotics. Also, your veterinarian could check for a possible underlying cause like allergies, mites or a foreign body reaction. Good luck!

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If the sore is mild and not very open or having a lot of drainage you can try to keep the area clean and applying a small amount of triple antibiotic ointment daily. However, of the area is larger or very open and moist you may need to take Millie to a veterinarian to determine if she needs any oral medications like antibiotics. She may also benefit from clipping the hair away from the area so it does not get crusty and it allows the skin to have exposure to air. i hope the issue resolves quickly for Millie!

Hello. Milo is scratching hard enough to damage the skin. It would be best to have him examined by your vet to see if there is a primary ear problem ( infection or ear mites ) or if he has a mild allergy. Different things require different treatments so I hope you can have him seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Riley! I would gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It could be a ringworm or superficial bacterial skin infection. If it has been getting bigger over the last few weeks, you should really take Milo to your local vets to get the bald patch examined and start treatment. Most likely, the treatment will be in form of antibacterial/antifungal cream or ointment.

Hello. The skin issues that are shown in the photos are what we call "hotspots". These are moist bacterial infections that can be caused by a number of things including fleas, allergies, trauma to the skin, too much swimming, etc. The infection itself is very itchy and uncomfortable. Sonny should be seen by a veterinarian to assess if there are any other things going on and to have these areas clipped and cleaned. Your vet will most likely prescribe a combination of topical and oral medication to clear the infection. He may also require and anti-inflammatory, anti-itch medication...but your veterinarian can discuss all of that with you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. 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 her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!