Why does my dog have persistent round sores with pus on his belly?

There are four main causes of persistent skin issues and you must figure out the underlying cause to address the problem. The causes are: flea allergy, food allergy (this needs to be ruled out with a hydrolyzed diet), environmental allergy or hypothyroidism. With out any further information, it’s hard to know how to advise next steps. If your veterinarian is not comfortable with treating chronic skin conditions, find one who is. I recommend to rule out fleas with a product like Simparica. I rule out food allergy with a diet called Ultamino. Hypothyroidism is a blood test. Environmental allergies are unfortunately very common and also more complicated but they can be determined with a blood test as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Lulu's skin lesions may be without an exam, but some possibilities may include a fungal infection, mites (scabies or demodex) a food or environmental allergy, or evidence of an underlying endocrine disorder such as Cushing's disease or a thyroid problem. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with a fungal culture, skin scraping, and some blood work. I would recommend Lulu visit her vet soon to have the possibilities above ruled out so she can get appropriately treated.

Chronic skin lesions could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Sammy wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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. 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 and thanks for posting! Sorry to hear Lolly has been diagnosed with allergies. This can be frustrating for both the pet and pet owner alike! The brown coating on the abdomen may be secondary yeast growth or discharge from a secondary bacterial infection that is present due to itching or scratching at the skin. If the medications do not seem to be helping, you may try having Lolly tested for allergies through an allergy screen. This can help differentiate between a food allergy and an environmental allergy. Food allergies are treated by avoiding the protein source Lolly is allergic to and environmental allergies can be treated with allergy medications such as antihistamines, Apoquel or Cytopoint injections (which work by targeting the inflammatory reaction of the skin), or allergy immunotherapy injections which ultimately produce the best outcome for the patient long term. Further investigation into what Lolly is allergic to may prove to be beneficial for her case! Thanks again for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Loki. I am glad that he is seeing his veterinarian. He may have a bacterial skin infection. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but allergies are a common cause. Has he been licking the area? This can make it worse. I recommend bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to help soothe his skin. Place an E-collar on him if he is licking. I hope this information helps!

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 medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

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!