Why is my dog's butt itchy and scabbed from chewing? What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly 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. What you can do in the meantime is use an e-collar to prevent further self-injury. 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!

Thank you for your question. Patches must be pretty uncomfortable. There are several possible reasons for this type of itchiness. The first thing I recommend is make sure he has been treated for fleas. Even one little flea can trigger massive itching in a dog that is sensitive to them. Other things that can cause this type of itching are food allergies, environmental allergies, mites, and bacterial skin infections. When the skin becomes this damaged, a trip to your veterinarian is necessary. We often have to prescribe antibiotics to control local bacterial infections that can result from all the scratching. We also need to get the itching under control. Sometimes this means steroids, and sometimes we prescribe a medication specifically to control itching. A t-shirt can be used to protect the skin from further scratching while it heals. There are some over the counter anti-itch sprays you can try, but many times they are not strong enough. I hope this helps, and Patches is feeling better soon!

Poor Cody! It sounds like he has a bad case of allergies. He could have fleas or allergic to something outside. He may also have mange, secondary yeast or bacterial infection. You could try to give him benadryl twice a day, start giving him calming baths using an anti-itch shampoo like duoxo calming shampoo, and start him on an omega 3 fatty acid to see if there is any improvement. I would also get him on a high quality flea preventative like comfortis, bravecto, or nexgard. See both links below for more info. If he isn't improving or if the area on his booty continues to bleed, I would have your vet look at him. Your vet will be able to determine the cause and get him started on the proper meds to help him feel better. They will also be able to start him on a strong allergy medicine like apoquel, cytopoint, or steroids. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#! https://www.petco.com/brand/vetriscience

These scabs could be due to itching from something such as fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. About 99/100 times if a dog comes to the vet clinic with something like this they also have fleas. If you don't have him on a good flea prevention then he is likely scratching this location due to fleas. I do think I see some "flea dirt" in the photo. I strongly recommend you get him to the vet for an exam. If he has fleas you need to get a good prescription flea prevention. Also, this type of lesion almost always needs oral antibiotics and some type of oral antiinflammatory to stop the itch cycle for it to heal. As long as he keeps scratching it, it will not heal no matter what you apply topically. If you choose to try and treat it yourself at home, you can use this hot spot spray gel 3- 4 times per day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) You will also need to get some dog boots to put on his back feet so if he tries to scratch the area it won't continue to traumatize the skin. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=dog%20boots ) If you do this at home for about 5-7 days and there is no improvement or it looks worse at any time then he needs to see the vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I'm sorry to hear that Snoopy is having skin problems. He is definitely itchy if he is biting at the affected area. I would recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will likely need a medication to decrease the itching and possibly an antibiotic. I typically send home a medicated shampoo as well. The bigger question is why he is itching in the first place. He could have an allergy to something in his environment, diet or even fleas. His veterinarian may recommend testing for mites or ringworm as well. In the meantime, you can try bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based. He should wear an E-collar as well to prevent further self trauma. I hope this information helps!

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Sketch. The symptoms that you are describing sound very similar to a pet that has a flea problem. It might be a small number so you may not see them if you look at the area. The first thing I would do is apply a flea medication to Sketch, if you haven’t already. After using a topical most veterinarians recommend no baths for 2-3 days after so that the product can be fully absorbed. Another possible explanation is that Sketch has a hot spot or another type of skin infection. I would recommend using one of the anti-itch shampoos to bathe Sketch first. Some of the hot spot sprays have ingredients that can be quite irritating. Another important thing to do is prevent Sketch from getting to the area, with an e-collar or possibly an oversized T-shirt. If none of these things help, I would recommend having Sketch seen by a veterinarian so that they can help figure out exactly what is going on. Hope this helps, good luck!