My Maltese has a red, scabby patch on her leg that keeps growing. What's the solution?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! From your pictures I think the crusts are epidermal collarettes which are the end results of a pustule. A pustule usually indicates a bacterial skin infection. Skin infections can be from allergies due to food or the environment. Ideally oral antibiotics are used to clear bacterial skin infections. If she is also itchy then we prescribe medications to helps that as well. Below is a medicated shampoo that may help. I recommend bathing 2-3 times per week and allowing the lather to sit on for 10 mins on the affected areas before rinsing. If the skin doesn't improve I recommend a Vet exam. I wish Bella a speedy recovery! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27306

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on the photos you provided, I suspect what you are seeing could be a hot spot from Willow chewing at herself. This could also be a skin infection. I would recommend using a product called Sentry Wound Ointment from PetCo and apply to the area until resolved. If there is no improvement or the skin condition worsens I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and 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.

This looks like moist dermatitis, a localized infection that usually occurs because of excessive licking/chewing in the area. Typically these need to be treated with oral antibiotics and the cause of the itch should be addressed and treated as well. I would recommend taking your dog in to be examined by your vet so the proper treatment can be initiated. In the meantime, you can try cleaning the area with dilute hydrogen peroxide and applying an antibiotic ointment on it to prevent further infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It looks like Lila may have what is called a hotspot (localized area of infection). When they lick the area they can make it extremely worse very fast. I recommend taking Lila to a veterinarian to get the area clipped up, cleaned up and have antibiotics +/- topical medication. I recommend in the mean time going to a pet store and getting an Elizabethan collar for her so she stops bothering the area. This does not look like mange. I hope see feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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!

Hello. All I can see is a small area of dermatitis on the leg. It can have many causes, but you can treat this with an over the counter skin antiseptic called Hibiclens. Gently scrub the skin twice a day & dab dry ( do not rinse ). Do this for about 2-3 weeks & the lesion should clear up. But since I cannot make any kind of actual diagnosis, if the skin becomes more irritated or the area does not seem to be healing, please consider seeing your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Belle is having this problem. By the pictures, it appears that there is evidence of some skin growths or masses. Since you mention changes and that she is scratching at it, these indicate that you should have your veterinarian evaluate her. Your vet can do a physical exam of the area and then advise a few treatment options. Most likely they will advise excision or removal of the affected area and then send the sample off to a pathologist so they can diagnose what the mass is. By far, most skin growths are benign but some are cancerous or malignant so it is important to determine what the growth is. Again, have your vet evaluate her and I hope all is well and works out for you and her.