Is my pet's inflamed skin contagious? Can I get it from the pet store?

I would recommend taking Blue to a veterinarian. It looks like scars from the picture but if her skin is turning red then the redness can be allergies. It looks almost like she has hives but the picture is not too great in showing that. I would recommend a veterinarian immediately if she has bumps (hives). Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. If that is the case, that is not transmissible to humans. 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 are itchy skin conditions which can be transferred from pets to people - scabies, ringworm and occasionally flea bites can all cause itching in people. I recommend you get Goldie fully checked by your vet and skin scrapings/hair tests performed to rule these out - depending on the findings you may also need to see your own doctor or pharmacist for treatment also. Generally speaking however, recurrent seasonal itching is much more likely to be related to allergies and requires symptomatic treatment for Goldie - these are not contagious to people

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Baby. Her skin appears severely inflamed, if not infected. She will need to see her veterinarian as she will need anti-inflammatory medication and likely antibiotics. Allergies to her environment or diet could cause these signs or even a drug reaction could cause this appearance. In the meantime, you can bathe her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. I hope this information helps!

It's possible that your dog and brothers could both be suffering from a contact allergy of some kind. However, dogs can get a number of skin problems that are contagious to humans such as scabies or ringworm, so this is a possibility as well. I would recommend taking your dog to the vet for an exam as soon as possible - he/she can do some simple skin tests to check for these problems, which will help to guide treatment for him as well as your brothers if a contagious disease is found.

Hello, sorry to hear about Honey. I would be more concerned with the yellow scabs being indicative of an ear infection, bacterial or yeast. However, unless ruled out with diagnostics, we cannot say that Honey is not carrying anything infectious that could be transmitted to humans. If your mouth was in direct contact with Honey, or if you happened to pet honey and then touched around your mouth, and if she happened to be carrying something infectious, then there's a chance you may have gotten something from her. The best way to rule out that she has anything you should worry about is by having your veterinarian assess her and run some skin diagnostics which may include a fungal culture, a skin scrape, and looking at skin debris and cells under the microscope. Things that you can contract from your cat include ring worm infections and paraste infections. Schedule an appointment to have your veterinarian take a look at your cat and speak to your physician about the rash your developed. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Ginger needs to be seen by a veterinarian for a diagnosis on what's going on with her skin, but if she is very itchy and if you have a rash that's similar to hers, I'd definitely recommend you both get that checked right away (you by your doctor, of course :-) ). There is a skin mite called sarcoptes that can infect a dog's skin and cause intense itching, and this mite can also be spread to people. Thankfully, if that's the case, it's easy to treat - but does require a prescription medication from the veterinarian. So, definitely have her checked as soon as possible. Hope this helps!