Why won't my dog's itchy, smelly pink scab heal? What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what the cause is as there is a lot of matted fur and crusted material over the area. I do see the green pus you are referring to, which to me tells me that there is likely an infection going on. This may be due to a resistant bacterial infection, which may explain why it has not been responding to treatment. If you have already been giving antibiotics and the area is not improving, it may be time to culture the area to determine what the causative bacterium is so that the most appropriate antibiotic can be used. If you are able to, I would shave all the hair away from this area so that you can get this area clean and keep it that way. I would use betadine and dilute that in saline so that you have a light brown solution to help disinfect the area several times per day. There is a product which you can purchase online that may help called vetericyn. I hope this helps and hope this problem resolves soon! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It looks like what we call a hot spot or moist dermatitis. These looks really painful. I would have him seen. He will most likely need some antibiotics and some topical medication to help dry this up. They can also give you something for the itching or pain relief. These usually heal pretty quickly once they stop messing with them.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach. Unfortunately, something like this is difficult to diagnose with just a photo and still even difficult in person. If all the "normal" things have been tried for common problems, then next step is a biopsy of the skin. Since I am not sure what the other vets gave you for topical treatment it is hard for me to say what you should try. It is good that it is not bothering her but I do think biopsy is a good idea. You must understand that not everything is a quick fix. In the meantime I would use this specific medicated shampoo. Be sure to lather it and let it sit on her for 15 min before rinsing. Use every 3 days. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198943_Home.pml?productId=142634 And then I would use this topical ointment. I will authorize the Rx if needed but only for this specific website. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198943_Home.pml?productId=116555 Hope this helps. Best wishes.

That sign could be related to a superficial skin infection (bacterial or yeast). Usually a medicated antibacterial shampoo preparation is enough to sort out the problem. Malaseb shampoo could be a good option in her case. I would recommend to have it prescribed from your local veterinarian, following a check up to confirm clinical suspicion. 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.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a hot spot. This is basically a bacterial infection secondary to self-trauma such as scratching. This is possibly secondary to allergies or another cause resulting in itchiness. I recommend that you have Bella evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If confirmed a hot spot on examination, then they would start her on antibiotics and something like steroids to decrease the itch. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar which you may get from your local pet store to try to prevent further scratching. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I actually do think that it looks like a hot spot but honestly, I have never seen one in that location. A hot spot is really just a skin infection so it is certainly possible especially if he was scraped in that general location. I would not be overly concerned about it as it looks superficial. You can continue with the Neosporin but I think this would be better: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) Also, if he is licking that area you need to get him a cone collar to wear. Licking can cause more infection and will delay healing. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/contech-procone-soft-recovery-collar-1558315 ) If you do this treatment and it is not looking better in about 5 days or so then you should have him to your vet for an exam. Hope this helps. Best wishes.