My dog has pink, dime-sized bumps under skin. Is it worms or allergy?

This is probably 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 treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then 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). 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.

It is unlikely ringworm. White pustules are more consistent with a skin infection or pyoderma. Typically, a skin infection occurs secondary to allergies. Follow up with your veterinarian to discuss treatment options.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed.  There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. 

Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi and thanks for your request. These are epidermal collarettes.; they are 'footprints' of a vesicular or pustular lesion. They are therefore a common lesion type in canine pyoderma, which is a type of superficial skin infection. An allergy could be present, but the signs are solely compatible with an infection. Disinfection can be provided with hibiscrub diluted with water 1:10 twice daily. Make sure to rinse off the solution and leave the skin dry. The signs should resolve in the next 4-5 days, if not a check up will be needed.

That doesn't appear to be ringworm. It could be a bacterial skin infection. Given that he has allergies, this makes bacterial infection more likely. You would need to have this confirmed by your veterinarian. Treatment may be systemic antibiotics, topical treatment or a combination of both. Getting the allergies under control would probably help as well. Discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets, food elimination trials and antihistamine use with your vet.

Hi! Yes for sure it could be an allergy to a new food ingredient, so you could try going back to her original food. However, dogs often get a rash caused by bacterial in this area though as well. This is called pyoderma. If possible, get her checked out by her vet. They might be able to prescribe some cream, or oral medication, depending on how things look! Best of luck with Luna!

I would get that checked to be safe. It looks a little like a staph infection or, more concerning, ringworm. Ringworm tends to be itchy and spreads and is highly contagious to other pets and people in the household. Your vet will do an exam and some labwork to determine the cause and based on those results will be better able to tell you what is going on and the best course of treatment.