My dog is itching, stinking, and shedding hair. What can I do?

It sounds like Zorro is developing a skin infection - that's the most likely source of the smell and flaking. Zorro needs to be seen by the vet as soon as possible - mild skin infections can sometimes be treated at home, but with a strong odor he likely needs a course of antibiotics which needs to come from your vet. Here's an article on hot spots, or superficial skin infections. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-treat-and-prevent-hot-spots-on-dogs/

I'm sorry to hear that Riddlebox is so itchy! The Fritos description is a pretty common one with skin issues in dogs, as it's often associated with bacterial and yeast (a fungus) infection of the skin. Oftentimes skin infections occur secondarily to another issue that has caused a dog to lick or scratch excessively, as this damages the protective skin layers and allows infection to occur. Riddlebox has lost an impressive amount of hair along his back. It's possible that this initial hair loss could be caused by underlying allergies (to fleas, food, or the environment), mange (caused by mites), ringworm (caused by a fungal infection), or even endocrine disorders (including hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease). At this point, I'd start by taking Riddlebox to his vet for an exam and some diagnostic testing. After testing for evidence of infection as well as trying to get to the root problem, your vet will likely prescribe some medication. These may include antibiotics, anti fungal medications, medicated shampoos, and anti-itch medications. I hope that Riddlebox is feeling better soon!

Poor Remington! It looks like Remington has a bit of a skin infection. The patch on his face appears to be superficial moist dermatitis (commonly called a "hot spot"). These skin infections are generally secondary to the dog scratching from something else. I would make sure you used a high product flea prevention (many over-the-counter options don't work very well). I prefer the oral options such as Bravecto and Nexgard, but there are many reputable topical products such as Advantix, Frontline, or Revolution as well. The scratching could also be due to allergies or (with the sore on his face) an ear infection, so I recommend having Remington seen by a vet to help determine what is causing the scratching in the first place, and to get him started on the appropriate treatment. He will likely need a course of antibiotics to clear up his skin. In the meantime, keep all of those areas clean and dry. You may gently clean them with warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well), then pat them thoroughly dry with a clean towel. Hope this helps.

Fleas and allergies to fleas can set-up an environment for infection. It's possible that this is complicating the recovery process. The skin will often start to heal once the fleas are gone, but it's worth treating for infection by giving a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (can get this at the pet store). It's best to just give a bath with the medicated shampoo once every 2-3 days, until the skin starts to look normal. It's expected that it will take a month or more until Buddy starts to look normal again, so stick with it and he should get through this fine. Treating for fleas is not just restricted to the host, because fleas can reproduce and nest in the environment and continually cause an issue. Below is a link to a short article that explains treating the dog and environment for fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ If the skin problems are not getting better, or are getting worse in the next two weeks, then it's best to have Buddy evaluated by a vet, because he may need additional treatment. I hope that helps and buddy gets better soon.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The smell usually indicates skin infection, so ideally you should take Jaceky to your local vets to get a course of antibiotics. Alternatively, you can first clip the wounds from the hair and use antiseptic solution ( 4% chlorhexidine would be best) and clean it twice a day. Also, make sure that your dog doesn't lick or scratch the wounds. For ticks, the most effective treatments are spot-on skin solutions that you can buy over-the-counter at pet shops or online.

Poor guy. There are really only 2 types of mites that we see in veterinary medicine- Scabies and Demodexx mites. Scabies (a type ofmite) is infectious to people so if you yourself are not itching then you can kind of rule that one out. The other mite, Demodexx isn't infectious to people or other pets, and nowadays it can be treated with oral flea preventatives such as Bravecto, Nexgard or Simparica + a medicated topical shampoo through your vet. I would recommend just starting Baileys' on one of these to cover any kind of mite issue. Then I would suggest getting Bailey on an oral antibiotic to clear up the skin infection that is present. The ears look to be infected as well. This will require a topical ear medication and cleaner from your vet to resolve. Skin allergy testing is not commoonly used anymore due to the poor overall response to allergy immunotherapy shots. THe most common allergy medication used nowadays is Apoquel. I would ask your vet about this as well, especially if mites are not the underlying problem, which can be easily confirmed or denied with a simple skin scraping test done through your vet. I hope that you can get Bailey's skin issue resolved soon. Best wishes and take care!

Hello. If his skin is damaged, then you want to use an antibacterial shampoo until the lesions heal. Anything with Benzoyl Peroxide or Chlorhexidine will work well. You will need to probably bathe him every few days, so alternate with a shampoo that has anti-itch properties such as Pramoxine or 1% hydrocortisone. The key to using any medicated shampoo is to make sure you leave the lather on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Finally, you should use a skin barrier preparation that contains ceramides. Allerderm Spot-on by Virbac & Dermoscent Essential 6 Spot-on are 2 highly rated products. Ueing these products along with diet & appropriate medications should make Mumble much more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.