My dog gets a rash on her belly after swimming. What should I do?

That is likely to be caused by an acute allergic reaction. It is difficult unfortunately to say precisely what it is that is triggering the reaction, and I am afraid avoiding any contact with it is the only option I can think of. 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.

Hello, Sorry to hear that Rex's belly is so itchy. He may have a skin infection, such as one from bacteria or yeast. I'd recommend taking him into his veterinarian to be examined. They may want to look at a skin sample under the microscope depending on his exam. Many dogs with sensitive skin require a medicated bath and ear rinses after swims, your vet will likely have some good recommendations for preventing this in the future. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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 treat with a high quality flea treatment, 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). 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!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Kiowa is likely having a reaction to something. It could be the saltwater causing irritation to the skin. That much salt on the skin can become quite irritating, especially if it is not washed off. I would run to the nearest store and grab a bottle of Aveeno oatmeal shampoo and bathe her with that for at least 8-10 min. I would not allow her to go back in the water after until this resolves. If there is no improvement or the skin condition worsens I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi. It looks like Jack has a bit of pyoderma or skin infection on his belly. It may be a hypersensitivity reaction to insect bites or contact allergy or he may have a mild bacterial infection. Dogs that swim a lot in ponds or creeks may get this. If this is his only sign and he is not painful or itchy then bathing with a mild antibacterial shampoo may clear it up. If it's bothering him or seems to spread or get worse I recommend taking him into the vet.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Daje. Poor girl sounds miserable. Take a cup of oatmeal, and put it into a blender to make a fine powder. Then add it to a warm bath, and put her in it. That may help temporarily soothe her skin. First thing in the morning, have her seen by a vet to diagnose the cause of the skin problem so she can get treated. I hope this helps!

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 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!