My dog has a spreading red rash, flaky skin, and strong odor. What is it?

Poor Mojo! This sounds quite uncomfortable! Due to red, itchy, and smelly skin, it is possible that Mojo has developed a fungal and/or bacterial skin infection. Skin infections most commonly occur with underlying allergies to fleas, food or the environment. New allergies can develop at any age. At this point, Mojo should see his vet for an exam so that his skin can be evaluated. He may need antibiotics, antifungals, and anti-itch medications to allow this issue to resolve. I hope he feels better soon!

I'm sorry to hear that Riddlebox is so itchy! The Fritos description is a pretty common one with skin issues in dogs, as it's often associated with bacterial and yeast (a fungus) infection of the skin. Oftentimes skin infections occur secondarily to another issue that has caused a dog to lick or scratch excessively, as this damages the protective skin layers and allows infection to occur. Riddlebox has lost an impressive amount of hair along his back. It's possible that this initial hair loss could be caused by underlying allergies (to fleas, food, or the environment), mange (caused by mites), ringworm (caused by a fungal infection), or even endocrine disorders (including hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease). At this point, I'd start by taking Riddlebox to his vet for an exam and some diagnostic testing. After testing for evidence of infection as well as trying to get to the root problem, your vet will likely prescribe some medication. These may include antibiotics, anti fungal medications, medicated shampoos, and anti-itch medications. I hope that Riddlebox is feeling better soon!

Heat rash in dogs can occur between the legs and armpit regions, but it is usually not itchy. I recommend that Blue see a vet to figure out what is going on. There are many possibilities for the rash that you see, including bacterial or yeast infection, fleas, ticks, mites, and allergies. It is hard for me to tell you where the odor is coming from, but often yeast has a peculiar smell. Your vet may want to do a skin scrape to look for mites or a cytology to look for bacteria or yeast. Treatment will depend on what the vet finds but may include an anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, or topical medications. While you wait for your appointment, try to keep Blue from licking and scratching the area as he can make it much worse and it could get infected if it isn't already. You can try applying a thin layer of Neosporin to see if it will soothe the area.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for sending along the pictures- the areas there do look very red and do appear infected to me. Allergies, bacterial, fungal, or mite infections can all be possible causes. You can try the medicated shampoo again to see if it helps this time around. If it doesn't help much or if it worsens, I would recommend Oscar see his veterinarian for an exam and further evaluation. He may need antibiotics or other medications as needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It sounds like Zorro is developing a skin infection - that's the most likely source of the smell and flaking. Zorro needs to be seen by the vet as soon as possible - mild skin infections can sometimes be treated at home, but with a strong odor he likely needs a course of antibiotics which needs to come from your vet. Here's an article on hot spots, or superficial skin infections. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-treat-and-prevent-hot-spots-on-dogs/

While the baths do help, I am afraid that is a skin infection at this point, likely yeast and bacterial. Generally you will need to see a vet for a sample for the correct medication. They may also discuss blood work to check the thyroid and check for Cushings disease as these can predispose them to the skin infections. It is best to give another bath and apply cortisone cream to the bad spots until you can get her seen by a vet