My dog's face and paws are red, itchy, and losing hair. Is it demodex?

Allergies and mange would be at the top of my list. A vet can easily check for intestinal parasites (mange) and then figure out a treatment plan for allergies if you don't have any parasites. There are many many different way to treat allergies, depending on how much you want to spend on medications/testing.

Before looking for a remedy, look for the cause. Have the skin scraped to check her for Demodex mites as they will common infest the feet. Scabies mites can also infest the feet but are difficult to diagnose on a skin scrape. I recommend to start her on an oral flea product such as Simparica or Nexgard as they will treat scabies. If it goes away within 4-8 weeks, then you know it was mites. Food allergies will also present as itchy feet. Discuss a food trial with your veterinarian. This is the only way to diagnose a food allergy. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It could be allergies, and although allergies occur more frequently when dogs are a little older, some younger dogs can be affected too. Since the lesions are itchy parasites (such as demodex, etc.) and infection ( bacterial, fungal) need to ruled out as well. Since your guy is uncomfortable the best plan is to see you vet to test for the above so that the correct treatment is prescribed. If the lesions resolve and recur work up for allergy will likely be recommended. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It is very possible that Rylie has both demodex as well as underlying allergies. Demodex is a mite that we commonly see in young dogs, like Rylie. It is very easy to detect on skin scrape, so your vet should be able to readily tell you if she has it or not. Allergies can be a little more difficult to figure out, as they can be environmental, food related, or seasonal. If it is a diet related allergy, it could take 2 months of a new diet to see any improvement. Since she has a few pimples, I would be concerned that she may be developing a skin infection that requires antibiotics. I would take Rylie in to have an exam with your vet and a skin work up to see what the underlying cause of her hair loss is and what treatment she needs to be on.

That is an understandable concern. It appears he has a very bad case of folliculitis, which can be caused by several things including a Demodexx mite infestation, a contact allergy, environmental allergy or flea allergy. He needs to first go on a good flea preventative (Nexgard, Bravecto, etc) and then have a skin scrape/cytology done to look for possible mites. He definitely needs a short course of antibiotics to treat for his current skin infection and then medication depending on the results of his skin scrape/cytology. The vet should be able to get him on the right track if the skin testing is done. I hope this helps and best wishes with Trump moving forward. I hope his skin problems resolve very soon.

It could be caused by many different things. He could have demodex, ringworm, flea allergy dermatitis, scabies, etc. Since he is constantly itching, he should be examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. Your vet can do a skin scrape, culture, cytology, etc. to help diagnose and then prescribe the best medications to treat. I do not think apple cider vinegar will give him the relief that he needs.

Typically, itchy red skin with hair loss is caused by either fleas, mites (mange), ringworm ( actually a fungus) or allergies. For me, the most common one of these is allergies. Dogs can have allergies to ingredients in their food or to things in the environment. They need to be seen by a vet who can rule out the other causes I mentioned, and then take the appropriate course of treatment. Some dogs will improve greatly on a hypoallergenic diet, others need immunosuppressive drugs. Often these guys have secondary bacterial infections that require antibiotics. I'd recommend an appointment With Lylas vet ASAP to get this sorted out, and get her some medications to help her feel better.