Dog has hives, itching, no appetite. Is it shampoo, food, or serious?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it could be skin allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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! There is really nothing specific you can try at home other than bathing him with a medicated shampoo you can get at your local pet store. This shampoo should contain chlorehexidine. In reality though, this is unlikely to resolve this issue completely. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the pictures, it appears that Kalo may have a severe skin infection (bacteria, fungus or parasites). If this began right when you started the shampooing, I would recommend discontinuing the shampoo. Whatever the cause, this is something that I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.


Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Bristol has some redness and crusting on her abdomen. While this can be caused by food allergy, the redness and crusting is an indication of a skin infection. You can bathe Bristol with an antibacterial shampoo formulated for dogs, which can be found in pet stores to begin getting the itching and infection under control. I also recommend getting her an E-collar or "cone" to prevent her from licking/chewing the area and making it worse. If you think that certain foods may cause the signs to get worse, I recommend feeding Bristol only her dog food, with no human food or treats for the next few days. I hope this helps and that all is well with Bristol!

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the infection and itch so it can be treated appropriately. Because your puppy is so young I would be very concerned about Demodex as the primary problem. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well (based on the type of infection your veterinarian can recommend the most appropriate one). I would also recommend that he be on a good flea control routinely too. The thyroid gland is located in the throat area but it is probably not what you were feeling. I suspect you may be feeling a large lymph node or just severely inflamed skin tissue judging by the severity of his infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.



Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting and inappetence can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. She may be having side effects to the medications administered. Hair loss and scratching are likely due to allergies. For this reason, I highly recommend that you have Shelby evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as I am afraid she is likely becoming dehydrated. They would be able to check for these possibilities and also check her hydration status and give her medications to make her feel better. Good luck!

Hello! A picture of the lesion would help us give more helpful input. However, if Shiloh's skin is flaky and itchy, it could be a number of things, including superficial pyoderma, demodicosis, sarcoptes, yeast dermatitis, and ringworm. It is difficult to narrow down the causes without doing an exam on her or at least seeing the lesions, but it is very likely some sort of infection (whether bacterial, yeast, or parasitic) so I do recommend bringing Shiloh to the vet. Your vet will be able to determine the cause, and Shiloh will likely need prescription medication (antibiotics, antifungals, or anti-parasite, along with possible medicated shampoo) to clear the issue. Depending on the severity of the issue on her skin, it very likely might not improve without prescription meds, so it is worth having her seen as soon as possible. Additionally, depending on her age, she may have some underlying condition that might be making her skin susceptible to infection, such as allergies or hypothyroidism. I hope this helps.