My pitbull has oozing skin and ear issues. What should I do?

He could have an infection and/or allergic dermatitis. Since this has been going on for a couple years, he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, and/or anti-inflammatory to treat. He may need to stay on an anti-histamine long term if it is related to allergies.

Trooper could have a form of mange that isn't contagious to other dogs, known as demodex. Another possibility is a condition called vasculitis, which can compromise blood flow to the edges and point of the ear, and irritate them. Vasculitis can be caused by tick-borne diseases, as well as immune-mediated diseases. Another possibility is a disease called pemphigus. All of these problems have very different treatments, so it's important to get Trooper checked by a vet so that the appropriate treatment can be prescribed.

This dog needs oral antibiotics and steroids to treat the skin at this point. You need to take her to the vet. This treatment (antibiotics/steroids) is only treating these symptoms though, not the underlying cause. I suspect allergies are the underlying problem but it could also be mange. Both are VERY common in this breed. The scratching, hair loss and infection are secondary conditions. Allergy testing is needed to find out what she is allergic to and a skin scraping to check for mange mites is warranted. Most clients say "I went to the vet and got no answers" but they also declined all testing the vet recommended. Vets don't have crystal ball so they need to do testing to find out what the problem is. Please get her to the vet so her skin can be treated appropriately to get her feeling better and then after the treatment is done get her allergy tested. They can't be tested while on medication. You can try this home allergy test kit as a cursory screening and then go over the results with your vet to get a treatment plan in place but honestly, skin patch testing is a better diagnostic tool. ( https://www.chewy.com/dna-my-dog-test-my-pet-dog-allergy/dp/205062 )

This is a skin infection. Medicated baths sometimes help but fair skinned dogs are more prone to allergies and skin infections. To clear this up she probably needs oral antibiotics for several weeks. This is not contagious. Some dogs develop this when laying in a moist area, or on something irritating. Please take her for a veterinary exam to confirm the problem and get medication to treat this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Poor Romeo! Skin problems in dogs are usually related to allergies. Humans display allergies in our eyes and noses, but dogs do so in their skin. The top allergies are flea, food and inhalant. Flea allergies typically cause hair loss and itchiness on the back 1/3 of the dog especially around the tail. Food can cause ear problems and general skin issues. Inhalant tend to be on the legs and the abdomen and sometimes ears. When a dog has allergies, the skin isn't as healthy so it can't fight off the normally occurring yeast and bacteria on the skin, so they tend to get secondary bacterial or yeast infections. I am concerned that Romeo might have a secondary infection. Inhalant allergies tend to start from 3-5 years of age and tend to get worse... I recommend taking him to a veterinary and get a thorough exam. They will most likely do some diagnostics like a skin impression smear (push a slide on skin and check under a microscope), skin scrape (for mites) and a fungal culture. After they do that, they will discuss a treatment plan with you. Please have patience, there is not one plan that works for all allergy dogs. It is sometimes trial and error to find what works.... Kind of like it is for human allergies. :- ) Allergies can not be cured, only controlled. Communication is very important with your veterinarian to let them know what works and what doesn't. Good luck getting Romeo feeling better! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Pits are prone to allergic skin disease, and everything you describe can be symptomatic of this condition. Lex may benefit from a prescription allergy diet trial on something like Hills z/d fed exclusively for 9-10 weeks. He may need to be on allergy medication like apoquel to help stop the itching, and if he has a secondary bacterial or fungal/yeast infection in his skin, this needs to be addressed as well. See your vet for a skin allergy workup and proper medications. Hope that helps!

Poor Axle! I'm sorry to hear that he's having skin problems. There are a number of different things that can cause hair loss with itching in dogs - some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would really recommend having Axle examined by a vet to get a diagnosis first. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help determine what is causing the hair loss, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat the problem depending on what is found. In the meantime, you could try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to help soothe his skin - this will not treat the underlying problem, but may temporarily relieve his symptoms and make him a bit more comfortable until you can see the vet.