My dog's bum is red and he's licking it after grooming. Is it urgent?

I would give him a cool water bath with a hypoallergenic shampoo to soothe the skin. He should be in a cone if he’s licking the area. It is most likely from the shaving. You can give Benadryl to calm the itching. There is a section on this website with dosages and facts about common over the counter medications you can give your dog. The cortisone cream may help calm the skin too. This may take several days for the irritation to improve. If he makes sores please take him in for an exam and medication to control the itching. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sky.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the picture! Due to the red fur staining it is evident that Babi is licking the toe. It is also pretty swollen. The first step is to prevent the licking by using an Elizabethan collar (cone) or donut. I do think it would heal faster if you saw a Vet. There is likely a bacterial and or yeast infection of the nail bed. Having oral antibiotics and antifungals and something to stop the desire to lick will speed this process up for you both. I hope this helps and I wish Babi a speedy recovery!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. About 99/100 times if a dog comes to the vet clinic with something like this they also have fleas. If you don't have him on a good flea prevention then he is likely scratching this location due to fleas. I do think I see some "flea dirt" in the photo. I strongly recommend you get him to the vet for an exam. If he has fleas you need to get a good prescription flea prevention. Also, this type of lesion almost always needs oral antibiotics and some type of oral antiinflammatory to stop the itch cycle for it to heal. As long as he keeps scratching it, it will not heal no matter what you apply topically. If you choose to try and treat it yourself at home, you can use this hot spot spray gel 3- 4 times per day. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) You will also need to get some dog boots to put on his back feet so if he tries to scratch the area it won't continue to traumatize the skin. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=dog%20boots ) If you do this at home for about 5-7 days and there is no improvement or it looks worse at any time then he needs to see the vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It would a good idea to put an Ecollar on Otis to keep him from licking the area, as that will make it worse. Oatmeals baths or an Epsom salt bath may help as well. He could have an allergic reaction causing the redness or he could have a bacterial or fungal infection. It would be a good idea to have him checked out by the vet over the weekend, as there may be medications needed to help treat the redness. I would see if you can get him into the vet this weekend; if not, I would take him in on Monday if the redness is still present. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for your post! From the pictures you posted, it looks like Chico may have a hot spot (moist dermatitis) area in front of his prepuce / penis. Some of the area appears to be yellow and this might indicate it is infected. I would get your vet to check this out so that Chico can receive the appropriate treatment. Most likely he will need an oral antibiotic and some topical ointments to treat the area. If he is constantly licking the area, I would get a plastic cone to keep around his head to prevent him from licking the area and making it worse. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions / concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an infection of the anal sac or possibly allergies for example. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that there is a round, dark red to black-ish area, but am not sure where it is. This definitely appears uncomfortable, and I can see that Diggory has been licking at it by the wet fur. As long as Diggory is acting normally, eating/drinking, and not vomiting; it is most likely okay to wait until tomorrow morning to have the area looked at by a vet. You can get him an E-collar or "cone" to keep him from bothering the area. I don't recommend putting a bandage on it, as Diggory is likely to rip it off and possibly eat it. This may be caused by an infection, allergic reaction, or even certain types of cancer. A vet will be able to prescribe antibiotics, medicated shampoos/ointments, and pain medication to keep Diggory comfortable until you get to your family vet. I hope this helps and that all is well with Diggory!