What are these red bumps on my dog's skin and why is fur falling out?

These spots you are seeing on Charlotte are pustules, or localized areas of infection. The crusts you have provided a picture of (with the hair still attached) are also an indication of infection. These symptoms along with her itchiness indicate that she may have an allergy issue. Oftentimes when a dog has allergies they become very itchy and the dog will scratch at their skin which leads to the infection. Charlotte will probably need antibiotics and an anti-itch medication to help her overcome the issue. Good luck.

Hello. It looks like Sam has some pretty significant dermatitis going on, most likely caused by a staph infection in his skin. But allergies, auto-immune disease & even some hormonal imbalances/diseases can cause skin symptoms like this. He really needs to be seen by a veterinarian, preferably one with a specialty in dermatology, if possible. In the meantime, I would be bathing him in an antibacterial shampoo, one with benzoyl peroxide, or 2-4% chlorhexidine. Most pet retailers carry something. Soap him up for 10 minutes before sensing thoroughly, & repeat the bath every few days, or at least twice a week. It may take 4-6 weeks to see results, but if you can have this looked at first hand, that would be best. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie. I recomend she sees her veterinarian. The lesion could be an infection or a a mass that has developed. Depending on her exam findings, the veterinarian may perform a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. A small needle is used to collect a sample of cells and evaluate them under the microscope to diagnose the lesion. This will help to guide treatment. In the meantime, you can try bathing her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. I hope this information helps!

Scrappy needs to go to your veterinarian for an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause of this skin condition. It looks like a bacterial infection but he also could have mites, a fungal infection or it could be an autoimmune disease or tumors. If it's a severe bacterial infection with antibiotics and medicated baths this should improve. The longer he has these lesions the more likely the skin can become damaged and his fur may not grow back in. In addition to the skin scraping they may recommend a thyroid level test and perhaps a blood panel to check for other underlying disease. Scrappy will feel better once they get a diagnosis and the proper treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Scrappy.

It looks like Bruno has a skin infection. Parasites like mites and fleas can cause irritation of the skin that can lead to bacterial infections. If he has not had skin scrapings performed to look for mites, that would be my recommendation. If there are no mites, and he has been treated for fleas, then perhaps the topical medications he is on are not enough, and he needs an oral antibiotic to control the infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.

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.