My dog has an itchy neck rash. What home remedies can I use?

I'm sorry to hear that Jax is so uncomfortable! The redness and inflammation on his foot is pretty significant. This type of skin issue is most commonly caused by underlying allergies to fleas, food or the environment. When dogs itch and bite a lot, they damage the protective outer layers of the skin, often resulting in the onset of bacterial and/or yeast skin infections. It's possible that he may need some anti-itch medications, antibiotics or anti-fungal medications. I understand that Jax is not the most cooperative at the vet, but this is something that warrants veterinary attention. I'd recommend calling your vet to ask if they can prescribe a sedative before the appointment or consider working with a house call vet in your area. I hope that everything goes well!

Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Pets' can get rashes for many reasons. Some times you can care for it at home and sometimes they need to go to the veterinarian. For Boba you can try home care first. The first thing to try to figure out is how to protect the area from further scratching. It's a tricky because this portion of his neck won't be covered with the normal elizabethan collar. You would try a loosely fitting dough-nut style collar. Or the end of a tube sock cut to loosely fit around the area. A doggie turtle neck would work but it might be too hot where you live for that. Try to figure something out that covers it but not a choking/strangulation hazard. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day. Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Make sure the skin is dry before application. Neosporin is fine to use. Keep him indoors, clean and dry. You can get hydrocortizone cream for pets and apply that once a day, try to apply with at least 2 hours after and before the neosporin. You can also give him benedrl every 8-12 hours. If the spot is not much better in 1 week, if it gets worse at any point or if the lesion is not completely healed within 2 weeks, Boba needs to be examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out any time.

Unfortunately, without a physical exam it is difficult to determine the underlying cause with any certainty. It could be a bacterial or yeast skin infection or it may have an allergic component. Parasites, such as mites, cannot be ruled out either. Place an e-collar (cone) on Jax to prevent licking or chewing. You can clean the area with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution daily. Dry it thoroughly afterwards. Veterinary clinics and ERs have been deemed essential, so they should be seeing patients. Travel to either is permitted as long as proper precautions are taken and social distancing is observed. Call ahead as procedures have likely been modified to prevent or limit contact. This may require you to drop Jax off then wait for your veterinarian to call you to discuss exam findings and treatment options.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend taking Jordan to a veterinarian to determine the cause of his rash. It may be allergies or he could have a yeast or bacterial infection. All of these conditions would require different medications to treat. Until you get him into the vet I recommend using an antiseptic medication shampoo for dogs (antimicrobial/antifungal) and keep the area clean and dry. Moisture can often worsen skin conditions, so be sure to dry off under his neck after drinking or going outside if there is an moisture on him. I hope Jordan is better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. You can try giving Squeakers some benadryl to help the itching, I would do 5 mg orally once and see if that helps. It may make him drowsy, If that doesn't help, you can bathe him in an oatmeal/aloe shampoo to soothe his skin. It does look like the area may have some infection, I would recommend having your vet check him Monday if the above ideas don't work. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! It could be from extra moisture due to his collar or a skin infection. Below is a link to an antihistamine to control scratching. I would clean it was a mild soap and water daily. Dry it well. You can try the spray below after drying. If it hasn't improved in a week he should be seen by a Vet for prescription medications. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=40493 https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/

Poor Jackson. From your description, I would guess that Jackson likely has a superficial infection and needs antibiotics or antifungals to get the itching under control. He may also need steroids or an anti-inflammatory and/or anti-itch medication. You've tried the right home remedies, but since that's not cutting it, I would recommend a vet ASAP. They will sample the surface of his skin to see if there is bacteria or yeast there, and then treat the infection. It's also worthwhile to talk with the vet about the underlying cause of this itching. It could be allergies (but new allergies in a 11 year old would be odd) or an endocrine disorder disrupting the normal functioning of the skin, or other issues.