My dog has painful sores in his armpits. What should I do for him?

From the excellent picture you have provided it looks like Winstyn may have moist dermatitis, or a "hot spot". Unfortunately, hot spots often require a trip to the vet for clipping of the area, cleaning, and prescription of a healing spray / ointment with antibiotics and a steroid. All of these interventions will help the area heal quickly, and minimise the level of discomfort that Winstyn has to experience. Due to the location of the sore it will particularly difficult to treat at home. In the meantime you can help Winstyn by; Placing a an e-collar to prevent him biting or attracting at the sore and making it worse Attempt to air out the area as much as possible to help it dry out. This is key to healing. Do not attempt any medications at home as they can cause pain and in some cases delay healing. I hope this is a helpful answer and that Winstyn feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

It sounds like he has a bacterial skin infection (puppy pyoderma). You could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo but he may need an antibiotic and possibly a corticosteroid to treat the problem. Have your vet take a look at him to determine the best way to treat his problem.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know exactly what the sore is without seeing a photo. It can be trauma, a ruptured mass, or a severe infection. If the area is bleeding, has white or yellow discharge, or is causing your dog discomfort, he should be seen by a vet right away for treatment. In the meantime, you should try to keep the area as clean as possible and try to prevent your dog from licking the area with an E-collar or "cone". Kidney disease can cause a build up of toxins in the body, which can cause stomach ulcers and ulcers in the mouth, sores on the skin are not commonly associated with kidney disease. I hope all is well and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think that this looks severe enough that it warrants a veterinary evaluation to shave and clean the area appropriately and also start him on antibiotics to treat a possible infection. They can assess how it looks on a close examination and treat it accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. The skin issues that are shown in the photos are what we call "hotspots". These are moist bacterial infections that can be caused by a number of things including fleas, allergies, trauma to the skin, too much swimming, etc. The infection itself is very itchy and uncomfortable. Sonny should be seen by a veterinarian to assess if there are any other things going on and to have these areas clipped and cleaned. Your vet will most likely prescribe a combination of topical and oral medication to clear the infection. He may also require and anti-inflammatory, anti-itch medication...but your veterinarian can discuss all of that with you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for sending along the pictures- the areas there do look very red and do appear infected to me. Allergies, bacterial, fungal, or mite infections can all be possible causes. You can try the medicated shampoo again to see if it helps this time around. If it doesn't help much or if it worsens, I would recommend Oscar see his veterinarian for an exam and further evaluation. He may need antibiotics or other medications as needed.

Ouch! By the picture it looks like Cooper may have a skin infection. Since the type of medicated shampoo or spray is not listed for me to comment on, I would probably wait until you see the veterinarian for guidance. If you have any oatmeal based shampoo that may be soothing. I hope Cooper feels better soon!