My dog's leg has a rash that isn't healing. What should I do?

Hello! My name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help.

Thank you for sending the photo. It is helpful. That skin lesion could have a few causes:

The most common reasons are
•Allergies (environmental or food)
•Bacterial infection
•Fungal infections

There are a few questions to ask yourself:

Has there been any new treats or food within the last 2 weeks?
If so, stop giving the new item. It could be related to the itching.


Does your pet have a history of itchy skin or ear infections?
If so, it could indicate an underlying condition like allergies or thyroid disease.


Are other pets in the household itching?
If so, it could indicate a communal cause.

Here are some things you can do at home with may help.
1. Stop any licking (since this can make it worse)
- Leo should wear an elizabethan collar at all times.
- Remember that the collar must come out past his nose in order to be effective.


2. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry.

-This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells.




3. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day to the red areas. Make sure the skin is dry before application.

-Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Neosporin is fine to use.

Here are some tips that can improve over-all skin health and decrease itchiness:

1) Add in an omega fatty acid supplement.

- Your veterinarian will carry some nice products
- You can also find a good product called Welactin online.

2) Change his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health.

*It will take 4-6 weeks for any diet or supplements to take full effect

3) Wash your pup in a pet oatmeal shampoo and conditioner once a week for general health.

4) If environmental allergies are suspected, a daily antihistamine can also help.

Have your pup examined if-

•Leo is severely itching/licking

•If any itching/licking gets worse

•If in 2 weeks the lesion is not completely healed

Sometimes no over the counter options will work and they need a stronger medication from the veterinarian.

I hope this helps and please feel free to check in any time!