My dog has an itchy rash after a walk. Is it serious enough for a vet?

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!

It sounds like something irritated his skin. Do some investigating and see if you can part his hair away and look at his skin for more clues. IF you don't see any irritation, then the culprit was probably not severe enough to cause harm to the skin. You can then try bathing him in an aloe-based or oatmeal-based shampoo to see if this can help calm his skin down and then monitor him for the next few hours for improvement. If hsi irriation worsens or does not resolve, then it is best to get Bix evaluated by your vet for further treatment. Best of luck moving forward with Bix and I hope that his irritation resolves soon. Take care.

Poor Teddy! It sounds like he is suffering from some severe allergies that is causing this persisting rash. I would take him into the vet for an exam. It sounds like he could use a strong medication to stop the rash, such as a steroid. I would take Teddy into the vet today or tomorrow during normal business hours.

Hi and thanks for your post. It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Blitz's rash may be due to without examining Buster first, but I can offer some possibilities and next steps. Some possibilities may include a fungal infection, bacterial infection, mites, a food or environmental allergy. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and/or an allergy screening. I would recommend Blitz visit his vet soon to get a definitive diagnosis so the most appropriate treatment can be prescribed. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for providing pictures of Achilles's belly! Yes, I would take him into the vet. It certainly isn't normal to have a rash on the belly, and it could be caused by a contact allergy, ringworm, or a skin infection. The vet can diagnose what is causing the rash so it can be treated. I would take him into the vet in the morning.

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!

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!