My dog has a red rash after playing outside. What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the photos and your description, I suspect what you are seeing may be due to insect bites such as ants. If this is just inflammation from insect bites and not an infection, it will likely clear up on its own. I would recommend using a product such as Malacetic Conditioning spray which can be found online quite easily or a steroid spray from PetCo and apply to the area twice daily until resolved. If pustules begin to form or the rash spreads / worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Bentley so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it could be due to an allergic reaction. How serious this is depends on what is causing the possible allergic reaction and how it progresses. If this is confirmed on an examination, this is usually treated with anti-histamine medications and corticosteroids and usually responds well to therapy. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry Charlie is having this problem. It is likely a contact rash and not usually a terribly threatening issue. I would recommend bathing him in your regular shampoo with a good rinse after. If it is very itchy-Benadryl is generally accepted as safe for dogs and you can find a dosing for this medication online by searching the Merck Veterinary Manual. Triple antibiotic ointment is considered safe topically if your pet is not allowed to ingest any of it as well. If the rash spreads further or worsens quickly or you notice any other issues or abnormal behaviors besides this rash-generally this then warrants a trip to your vet to stave off symptoms and be treated for a potential reaction. I hope this helps and that Charlie feels better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like very severe irritation/inflammation. It may be a reaction to something in the environment which may be causing this. Or it could also be something like a severe infection. I would highly recommend you consider going back to your veterinarian if she currently has the rash. They would be able to assess the situation and proceed with therapy accordingly. Best of luck!

I would recommend taking Red to a veterinarian. With the history provided it may indicate allergies. Her skin looks very irritated and after a physical is performed to determine if this is the cause there is plenty of options for allergies in dogs. The first thing is clearing the infection which can include antibiotics, anti-fungals and/or shampoos. The next step is treating the allergies. This can be done by anti-histamines, steroids or two newer treatments one is pills called apoquel and then other is a 4-8 week injection called cytopoint. Allergies can be caused by environmental factors, which its sounds like could be part of the issue due to the recent move to the country but it can also be caused by food allergies. I would discuss this with your veterinarian and make a treatment plan with what is best for you and Red. If after a physical it doesn't appear to be allergies it could also be some type of mite on Red's skin. If your veterinarian feels it is more from mites a skin scraping would be performed to confirm this. Some mites are extremely difficult to find and sometimes even if no mites are found treatment is still initiated. I hope Red feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you think Dakota is warmer than usual and has developed a rash, she may be having an allergic reaction to something. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Bristol has some redness and crusting on her abdomen. While this can be caused by food allergy, the redness and crusting is an indication of a skin infection. You can bathe Bristol with an antibacterial shampoo formulated for dogs, which can be found in pet stores to begin getting the itching and infection under control. I also recommend getting her an E-collar or "cone" to prevent her from licking/chewing the area and making it worse. If you think that certain foods may cause the signs to get worse, I recommend feeding Bristol only her dog food, with no human food or treats for the next few days. I hope this helps and that all is well with Bristol!