My dog keeps licking a rash. Is it safe to wait until her vet visit?

This looks like local irritation or infection. You would need to have Belle physically examined by your veterinarian, though, for confirmation. In the meantime, keep the area clean and dry. You can use pet wipes or plain, unscented baby wipes to gently clean the area. Dry thoroughly afterwards. A small amount of plain cornstarch will work to keep the folds in her skin dry. An e-collar (cone) should be used to prevent further licking. This, along with cleaning, may be enough to allow healing, but if not then Belle will need to be seen by your vet. Monitor for lethargy, excessive urination, difficulty urinating or spread of the rash.

I am sorry to hear about Ella! If this area has been present for awhile and is getting worse I would recommend a visit to a vet. In the meantime, you can place an e-collar on Ella to prevent her from licking the area which may allow it to start to heal. You can apply a topical antibiotic ointment to the area and with the e-collar on she won't be able to lick it off. The vet can examine the area and check to see if there are signs of infection or if there could be parasites such as mites present that require treatment. Best of luck to you and Ella!

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 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). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. 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 does look like a skin infection but the origin (bacterial, fungal, yeast) I don't know just by looking at it. If it is bacterial, sometimes oral antibiotics are needed if topical therapy is not working. I don't know what cream you are using as I am not aware of a chlorhexidine cream, or how long you have been using it, so it's hard for me to comment much more on what you are already doing. I personally like these chlorhexidine wipes because they also contain an anti-fungal/anti-yeast component (climabazole) and a component to help repair the skin (phytosphingosine) so it is gentle. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo+Auto ) If she is licking this area, it will never get better. So, if she is licking, you will need to get an E-collar (cone) for her to wear until this is healed. So, if you want to try the medicated pads, I would do that. If there is still not resolution after a few weeks then she should go back to the vet. Skin maladies typically take quite a long time to respond completely to treatment so as long as it's not bothering her too much just continue on for a few more weeks. Treat the affected areas for at least a few days past all resolution of the lesions. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

That does look a bit irritated. Issues such as allergies, or even issues like bladder infections can cause itching or irritation. If Laika is licking the area, it can also increase irritation. I would place an Elizabethan (cone) collar on her to keep her from licking it and keep the area clean with pet wipes or a washcloth. If the irritation continues, or you see signs such as straining to urinate, bloody or cloudy urine, strange discharge, etc, then seeking veterinary care is best.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Maya. This looks like bacterial dermatitis, also known as a staph infection. This condition is caused by a bacteria known as Staphylococcus pseudointermedius. It is a normal bacterial resident on the skin of dogs and very commonly causes problems like this in dogs. Sometimes the cause is unknown and other times it's caused by external parasites (fleas, ticks, mites, etc), allergies to inhaled allergens/flea bite allergies/or food allergies, contact irritants or allergens, internal organ problems, intestinal parasite problems, nutritional problems, a primary bacterial skin problem, and the list goes on. Most of the time it is hard to narrow down the causative problem. This is NOT Contagious between dogs or people. this area is small enough that you could probably monitor it unless Maya is licking it and it's bothering her. If you do decide to take her (or it worsens, or other signs develop) your vet can take a detailed history and do a complete exam with diagnostics to follow if indicated. Sometimes these infections are stubborn and require oral antibiotics and medicines for itching because this condition can become rather itchy and irritating for the pet. Antihistamines or even steroids are used to calm the itch depending upon the level of itching and the suspected cause. Fish oil is also good for the skin and all organs of the body as they are anti-inflammatory. Many other strategies can be employed such as a benzoyl peroxide medicated shampoo. Good luck

Poor Tardis! I would try to use a cortisone or Benadryl spray on the area and put an cone collar on her to prevent the licking. You can also give her oral Benadryl if needed for itching. See link below. If it persists despite trying this or if it worsens then yes, I would certainly take her in. Your vet will be able to give her stronger meds to help this heal faster. It will never heal if she doesn't stop licking it though so the cone collar is very important. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#