Why are my dog's itchy pink skin patches spreading and losing hair?

Any time we have areas of hair loss it is recommended that your dog be examined by a vet. From one photo it looks like we could either have dandruff or epidermal collarettes which are a sign of bacterial infecition of the skin. The pinpoint white areas could be pustules (from bacteria) or calcinosis cutis which can be see with some endocrine diseases. The vet will examine Max and may recommend some testing to check for bacteria or parasites or endocrine diseases. Treatment will depend on their findings.

Hello, thank you for your question about Max. Based on the photos that you've attached and Max's symptoms it is possible that he has an underlying skin problem such as allergies or infection. Dogs can have underlying allergies to many things both dietary and environmental. I would recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian so that they can examine the areas and determine the need for additional testing such as a skin scrape or impression to look for bacteria and cells. Hope this helps, good luck!

Poor guy. It sounds like Maxx either has allergic dermatitis (to something in the environment), skin mites, ringworm, or even an immune mediated skin disorder is possible. I would first have him examined by your vet for a few skin tests (Skin scrape to rule out mites, and consider a ringworm test if the lesions are circular and red). Then the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment based on the findings of those tests. Typically as long as ringworm is not likely, cats respond well to steroids and antibiotics. I hope that Maxx's skin heals well soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hi there and thank you for posting! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Max's skin condition may be without examining Max first, but I can offer some possibilities. It could be a fungal infection or a mite infection. These are common in puppies and young dogs and present typically around the face, nose, muzzle and eyes. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a few simple skin tests. I would recommend Max visit his vet soon to have the possibilities above diagnosed so he can be treated with the proper medication. I am sorry to hear you do not have a veterinarian near you, but taking him to one in a town near by is necessary for diagnosis. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Those spots on Max could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day (not his whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. You will need to speak with a local veterinarian for medications. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Maxwell! There are quite a few different things that can cause hair loss with redness and crusting in dogs, so it's hard to say what might be wrong without being able to examine him and do some testing. Some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. Because of this, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!