My German Shepherd puppy has a red, swollen, itchy armpit. What is it?

As you said 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.

These look highly suspicious for a demodexx mite problem. Demodexx mites live on every pets skin, but overpopulate causing hair loss in certain pets whose immune system is not as strong. Have your vet do a simple skin scrape test to confirm this suspicion and then Tuxedo can go on medication to help resolve this over time. I don't see any areas of redness or infection yet, but secondary infections can develop quickly so it is best to get this treated as soon as you can to avoid the need for additional medications. Other possible causes for this are an environmental allergy or flea allergy. I hope that Tuxedos skin condition resolves well soon. Best of luck and take care.

Thank you for being such a good owner to Hachi. I really appreciate that you sent a picture as well. This looks like a picture of a pustule; like a zit. There are so many reasons that can cause pustules or itchy skin on a five month old German Shepherd. some of the most common reasons are: flea allergy dermatitis, bacterial dermatitis, external parasites like scabies, food allergies, and contact dermatitis from something they lay on and may be allergic to. One of the most common diseases that occurs on the underside of the belly is called puppy pyoderma and does need antibiotics to treat effectively. First, you can apply A topical antibacterial medication to this wound until you can be seen by your veterinarian. Second, before applying the ornament, I would bathe your dog thoroughly in her regular shampoo. Third, she needs to be on a monthly prescription flea preventative every month of the year. The best advice to get this pustule treated correctly is to be seen by a veterinarian and have a complete dermatologic examination performed. The vet and they want to do a skin scraping or skin culture so that they can begin a proper course of medications to take care of the itch and the possible infection. I appreciate you using our service. Have a great day

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, 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.

I'm sorry to hear Wall-e is so itchy. Skin issues can be incredibly uncomfortable for dogs! Without looking at his skin it is difficult to tell what the underling cause is and what needs to be done next. He may have a "hot spot" or superficial moist dermatitis, which is a bacterial infection. These can be triggered by just about anything and can develop very quickly and be very itchy. Dogs can also develop seasonal, environmental, or even food allergies that can manifest as skin infections or rashes. Fleas can also cause very red itchy skin, so I would make sure that Wall-e is on good flea control. I would recommend you take Wall-e in to your vet to have his skin evaluated. He may need antibiotics and potentially anti-itch medication. Often we will add in medicated shampoos as well to help make the dog more comfortable as well and resolve the issue. Good luck!

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. You can use chlorhexidine based pads to clean the affected area. 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!

Hi there. From your photos, it appears that Pepper has some mild infection of her skin. This can be caused by an allergy to something, or allergy to food. Bacteria likes to invade skin that is inflamed and a small infection will develop. I would recommend taking Pepper to you vet for an exam and skin testing. They can identify what is going on and get Pepper the treatment she needs. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!