What's causing my black dog's red skin and severe leg injury?

Blackening of the skin is commonly caused from chronic inflammation and/ or infection. Red lesions can also be signs of infection. I would highly encourage you to have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian soon. In the meantime shampooing with an antimicrobial shampoo such as chlorhexidine or salicylic acid would be appropriate. You can find these in the human shampoo aisle in the dandruff area. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. 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.

Yes, this dark discoloration is indicative of chronic inflammation or infection. I recommend to have him examined and checked for any evidence of a yeast infection. Your vet will also ask you may questions and licking and scratching. They will try to get an idea if allergies are possible or not. At home you can try giving him an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets but it may not correct the underlying cause. This can however improve over all skin health. There are two brands of food, Royal Canin and Nutro, which are aimed at skin health and they may help as well but again, they may not affect the underlying problem. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would be most concerned for a lick granuloma although it is difficult to tell from pictures. These can be related to arthritic pain, boredom, compulsive disorders and allergies, among other causes. The treatment depends somewhat on what the vet suspects the cause is- but may include diet changes, pain medicine, antibiotics if it appears infected and/or behavioral modification. If your vet does not think it looks like a granuloma in person they may recommend a biopsy! I hope this helps and Mercedes is back to normal soon!

Ed's skin looks very inflamed. There can be many causes for this including bacterial infections, skin mites, ringworm (which people can get), endocrine disease and allergies. The skin is darkening in response to chronic inflammation and the redness is new inflammation or possible infection. It looks pretty wide spread. I recommend to have him seen by his veterinarian who will most likely prescribe medications to stop the inflammation as well as start the process to figure out the underlying cause. Until you get him into the vet, washing the area daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse well) will help to remove dead skin, oil and surface pathogens. Prevent him from licking the area with an elizabethan collar that he should wear any time he is not supervised. Licking will worsen the condition. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

This looks like an area of skin infection. The smaller two bumps are pustules and the larger area is a pustule that has ruptured. Sometimes, if confined to a small area, these can be treated with topical antibacterial medication. If, however, it is more widespread your dog may need oral antibiotics. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions please let us know!

Hello! My name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Thank you for sending the photo. It is helpful. That skin lesion could have a few causes: The most common reasons are •Allergies (environmental or food) •Bacterial infection •Fungal infections There are a few questions to ask yourself: Has there been any new treats or food within the last 2 weeks? If so, stop giving the new item. It could be related to the itching. Does your pet have a history of itchy skin or ear infections? If so, it could indicate an underlying condition like allergies or thyroid disease. Are other pets in the household itching? If so, it could indicate a communal cause. Here are some things you can do at home with may help. 1. Stop any licking (since this can make it worse) - Leo should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. - Remember that the collar must come out past his nose in order to be effective. 2. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. -This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. 3. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day to the red areas. Make sure the skin is dry before application. -Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Neosporin is fine to use. Here are some tips that can improve over-all skin health and decrease itchiness: 1) Add in an omega fatty acid supplement. - Your veterinarian will carry some nice products - You can also find a good product called Welactin online. 2) Change his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. *It will take 4-6 weeks for any diet or supplements to take full effect 3) Wash your pup in a pet oatmeal shampoo and conditioner once a week for general health. 4) If environmental allergies are suspected, a daily antihistamine can also help. Have your pup examined if- •Leo is severely itching/licking •If any itching/licking gets worse •If in 2 weeks the lesion is not completely healed Sometimes no over the counter options will work and they need a stronger medication from the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to check in any time!