Why does my 2-year-old Maltese have red, scab-like dots on her belly?

I can see how red Barbie's belly is, as well as some marks where she has been scratching herself. She also has some red bumps, which can be a sign of a bacterial or fungal infection, as well as certain types of skin mites. Certain hormonal imbalances such as Cushing's disease (an overproduction of steroids by the body), and food allergies can cause signs like this as well. I recommend having Barbie seen by a vet soon to determine the cause and any underlying conditions. A vet will be able to determine the appropriate treatment and prescribe any antibiotics or medicated shampoos that will treat this issue. I hope this helps and would be happy to answer any questions you may have!

Poor Gabby sounds like she has a lot going on at the moment! It could be that these bumps are due to an allergic reaction, which is why she is scratching a lot. She could also have a skin infection, fleas, or mites. I would have Gabby seen by a vet today. The vet can determine what is causing the bumps and the scratching, and can treat her for it. Until you can get her into a vet, you can try giving her an Epsom salt bath or an oatmeal bath. Either may temporarily help with her itchiness.

I'm sorry to hear your dog is suffering from skin issues. Skin sores/lesions can have a variety of causes, such as parasites (fleas or mites), an infection (bacterial or fungal), allergies, or be a sign of an underlying condition. I would recommend she be seen by her regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of her skin issues and start any treatment (antibiotics, anti-itch medications) that may be necessary.

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based on their appearance, they look like freckles or birthmarks, which are normal and should not be causing him to be itchy. Oscar may be itchy for other reasons, such as allergies or a skin infection. If you are concerned that he may have an underlying skin disease, your veterinarian can perform a skin scrape and cytology to look for evidence of organisms that may be infecting the skin. I hope this is helpful!

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). 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!

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!