Why does my dog have a red scabby bump on his head after new food?

If this just appears to be a crusted area and is not raised, it is possible this was an insect bite that got irritated or a small scratch/wound. If the lesion is raised (I can't really tell from the appearance) then we sometimes get warty skin growths that can get traumatized and bleed/crust over. I would wash the area with a mild soap or Hibiclens (available at most drug stores) and apply a topical antibiotic like Polysporin or Neosporin a few times day. If she is scratching/rubbing at the area she may need an e-collar for a few days to stop self-trauma. If the lesions isn't improving after several days of this or it starts to get larger/other spots appear then these would be reasons to seek veterinary care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that this is likely 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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Zeus is having skin issues. It does appear from the pictures that he has open sores on the top of his head. There are a variety of causes for this, such as trauma, infection (bacterial or fungal), an immune disease or a type of skin cancer. I would recommend Zeus be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin lesions, and start any treatment (antibiotics, anti-itch medication, anti-inflammatory) that he may need to resolve it. Good luck!

Hello there! Considering her age and breed, the lump on Skye's head is most likely a benign mass called a histiocytoma. Only a vet can diagnose this for sure, but this is the most likely cause. The mass on the leg may also be a histiocytoma, as the head, face, legs, and feet are the most common locations for them to grow, and if a dog has one, they are more likely to have multiple over their lifetime. A histiocytoma can be unsightly, but they usually go away on their own after a few months. Some owners elect to have them removed if they keep getting scratched or infected, and this is usually curative at that location. There are other conditions that could cause lumps like these (though they are less likely, like a viral infection or cancer), and a visit to your vet will help to determine what that might be. The vet will give Skye a full physical exam, and they will likely take a small sample of cells from within the lumps with a small needle - a procedure called a fine needle aspirate, or FNA. This may not give a definitive diagnosis, but it can be helpful in ruling out more worrisome issues. It can also help the vet decide if the lumps need to come off for further testing, but I'd be surprised if this was the case. I recommend that you take Skye to visit the vet to confirm the lumps' cause, but it's not an emergency. Good luck, and I hope Skye's lumpiness clears up soon!

This is probably 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 (advocate or advantage), 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). 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.

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!

According to the picture this looks like a wart that Lady scratched and now has a scab on it. Since she is bothering with it and seems uncomfortable I would take her to see your veterinarian. They can make sure it is nothing else like a scratch that got infected or a different type of growth that go infected and scabbed over. They also will be able to give her a topical ointment to place on the area to help with any type of infection. If this is something that continues to bother her or scab over I would recommend removing it so it does not continually get infected and bother her. If she is scratching at it I would put an e-collar on her so she does not make it worse. As dogs age it is very common for them to get more warts like these, some may bother them while others will not.