My dog has a rash and itch since moving. What's the cause?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. 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!

I would recommend that you have Baby Girl checked out by a vet. A rash can be caused by many things, including fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. A vet will examine her and may do a skin scraping to look for mites. Once they have a better idea of the cause then a specific treatment protocol can be discussed.

Hi and thanks for your post. It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Blitz's rash may be due to without examining Buster first, but I can offer some possibilities and next steps. Some possibilities may include a fungal infection, bacterial infection, mites, a food or environmental allergy. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and/or an allergy screening. I would recommend Blitz visit his vet soon to get a definitive diagnosis so the most appropriate treatment can be prescribed. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

That looks quite uncomfortable. I'm surprised that she isn't super itchy. I don't see any obvious causes in the picture - such areas that make me suspicious of a bacterial or yeast infection. My top guesses be allergies (flea, food, environment, or even a contact allergy such as being allergic to your laundry detergent), with skin parasites or a superficial infection definitely possible. Since it's such a large area, it's going to be hard to apply an ointment - if you have a medicated bath for another dog (one that is for superficial infections) that may help. Wiping the area with witch hazel could calm in down. A mild (1%) hydrocortisone cream could also calm down the area. I would definitely recommend getting her to the vet as soon as possible. They are likely to need to do an exam saying she's in good health before she can be added to the insurance, and she's not going to qualify until her skin is better.

Poor Teddy! It sounds like he is suffering from some severe allergies that is causing this persisting rash. I would take him into the vet for an exam. It sounds like he could use a strong medication to stop the rash, such as a steroid. I would take Teddy into the vet today or tomorrow during normal business hours.

If those things have not worked to ease the rash then Krunk may need stronger medications (i.e. steroids or immunomodulator drugs like Apoquel- highly recommended) from your vet. Food allergies typically develop over time and occur with pets that have been fed the same food for their entire life. Here is a website article that discusses food allergies and also canine allergic dermatitis in general and what is typically needed to work-up and treat pets with this condition. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1535 Also Benadryl is only effective if the pets allergies are mild and only helps reduce itching in less than 50% of pets.

Oh that is bad! Poor Blue. I'd take her into a vet today. She could have mange, a bacterial skin infection, allergies, or fungal skin infection causing this rash. The cause needs to be diagnosed in order for the correct treatment to be prescribed. I hope this helps!