My dog is licking his skin raw and has a terrible odor. What's wrong?

Grundy, what a cool name! He may be experiencing a secondary skin and/or ear infection which for sure could be due to yeast. Those are 2 possible body parts that can be commonly affected with infections that may result in bad odor. This could be secondary to allergies. Have him examined by your veterinarian so the source of the smell can be found on examination which will help determine the best diagnostic and therapeutic approach for Grundy! Best of luck and thanks for entrusting us with your boy's health!

There are various causes for the bad smell and they will need to be investigated by a veterinarian. 1) your dog (I am assuming it is a dog, you do not say anywhere what type of animal he is) may have a particularly stinky type of bacteria in his anal sacs. This could be remedied by emptying them and flushing them with an antibitic that kills off all bacteria and then hopefully a new type of bacteria will take up residence. 2) Your dog may have particularly smelly bacteria in his skin that emit a bad smell. Certain antibacterial shampoos can alleviate that 3) your dog may have a mite infection. Sarcoptes mite infections have a typical sweet smell. Sarcoptes mites can be killed with avermectins or a Bravecto chew. 4) He could have a fungal infection (treatable with fungicidal shampoo and/or tablets) 5) If you have other dogs in your house he may have a particular pack smell. 6) He may have a skin condition such as seborrhea which invites certain bacteria who can cause a bad smell. I suggest yu make an appointment with your vet who should then examine your dog and check for the various causes and treat accordingly. Don't forget to do flea control.

Poor Oakley! He needs to see the veterinarian. The odor is likely due to secondary bacterial or yeast infection. The primary problem is likely skin mites or an allergy but thyroid disease is possible. He needs medications and likely a medicated shampoo. You also need to know the underlying cause or this is not likely to go away. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zach. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. His anal glands should be checked to see if they are full, infected or impacted. If they are, then he would be uncomfortable and would lick. His diet may be agreeing with him causing the gas. This can be discussed as well. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry to hear Chico is having issues with over licking. Excessive licking can be a coping mechanism secondary to an underlying anxiety or stressor. On himself, it can be secondary to a skin issue, such as allergies, skin parasites (fleas or mites), an infection or an underlying medical issue. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his licking (medical vs behavioral), have any necessary testing done (skin scrape, bloodwork) and get started on a treatment plan that may help resolve his issue. Good luck!

I recommend to discuss ruling out a food allergy and hypothyroidism with your veterinarian .Without any further information it’s hard to know which is best but your regular veterinarian should be able to guide you. Food allergies are easiest to diagnose when pets have a proper diet trial with a hydrolyzed prescription protein. Thyroid disease is diagnosed with a straightforward blood test. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them. Best of luck.

Hello, thank you for your question about Brownie. Based on the photos you've attached and the symptoms that you describe I would be concerned that Brownie has allergies. Allergies can be secondary to food or the environment, among other things. Often when dogs have bad allergies and they lick and chew alot they can develop secondary bacterial skin infections, which could explain the odor that you are noticing. Since this has been going on for a while and has not improved I would recommend having Brownie evaluated by a veterinarian. They can perform an examination and discuss the need for any additional skin testing such as skin scrapes, impression smears, etc. Depending on the findings of these tests they can then determine the appropriate treatment for Brownie. Hope this helps, good luck!