My dog has a dark red mark on his chest and is whining. Is he in pain?

Poor Wairer. If it was the first time used the harness or if he was tugged more than usual during the bike ride, he could have discomfort (either skin or muscle) from the harness. Excessive exercise could also cause muscle soreness. If Wairer is breathing abnormally/differently than usual, is reluctant to eat, lethargic, or is limping, than I would take him back to the emergency clinic or your regular veterinarian for another exam. Otherwise, monitor him for changes and continue with his pain medications. If he's still having this new reaction to being touched on the chest in a few days, then I would recommended a visit with his regular veterinarian for an exam and possibly x-rays of his chest. Good luck! Let me know if this was helpful advice or setup a consultation if you need further help.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like a bruise or a hot spot. If it does not bother Diesel at all and he is well in himself you could monitor him at home for 1-2 days. If it is a bruise or allergic reaction, it should go down without treatment. However, if it starts to bother your dog, please make an appointment with your local vets.

For Max! That looks a little irritated. He could have an infection or it could be some type of mass. The best thing would be to have your veterinarian take a look at it to determine the exact cause and the best way to treat. He may need an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory. If you can't take him to a vet, then you could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and apply an antibiotic cream and see if it resolves.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend starting by bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. This can help with a minor rash or irritation. You can also leave the harness off for the next few days to see if that has been contributing. If the rash spreads, is very itchy or develops pimples, then he should see his veterinarian. In this case, he could require treatment. Unfortunately, there are numerous causes of red skin. For example, allergies to something in the environment, his diet or something in the house can cause it. Infectious organisms like fleas are common in certain parts of the country. If necessary, the veterinarian will examine him, ask detailed questions about his lifestyle and history and prescribe medication as needed. I hope this information helps!

This is most likely just an abrasion that your dog got from going up the tree. If the area is hot and/or swollen it may be infected and you would need to take your dog to the vet to get some antibiotics to help it clear up. If you do not think it is swollen you can try cleaning it daily with some dilute hydrogen peroxide and applying some antibiotic ointment on it. If you do this for several days and the area is still abnormal you may want to consider a trip to the vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. 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, and thanks for your question. This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can be possibly started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking.