My dog has scabs on his face. Is it skin cancer or something else?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know without an examination. However, this is possibly due to a severe infection or even a growth is possible. I would highly recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

It is possible that the crusts and scabs on Sebastian's muzzle are due to infection from bacteria in his food bowls. Plastic and ceramic bowls are very porous and can harbor significant amounts of bacteria. If you aren't already doing so, switch to stainless steel bowls and wash them after each feeding. Also try washing the lesions with a gentle hand soap once daily, but be sure to thoroughly rinse and dry the lesions. If the scab worsen or aren't improving in another week or two, consider taking him to your local vet for further evaluation.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Oscar. It is a bit difficult to see the lesions in these photos as they are slightly blurry and there is fur covering the areas, but these could be epidermal collarettes, which are the result of bacterial infection of the skin, often the result of allergies, or potentially ringworm (a fungus) lesions. I would recommend bringing Oscar in to the vet to examine the areas. They may recommend testing by collecting some of the lesion and looking at it under the microscope to see if bacteria or yeast are present, or recommend fungal culture if they feel the lesions are suspicious for ringworm in person.

A lot of things can cause skin lesions on the face, from allergies to mange, so it's difficult to necessarily pin it on the diet. Zinc deficiency is very uncommon, but is genetic in huskies. It's not the diet that causes it, but rather a problem in how they metabolize zinc. It usually appears in young dogs (1-3 years old). The only way to diagnose it is via biopsy, which is a test your vet can do. If Tonka was doing well on the same diet previously and the only thing that has changed is the amount he's getting I would be surprised that it would cause this, especially if it's a balanced diet. Please do not supplement zinc without talking to your veterinarian, as zinc toxicity can be very dangerous.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the photos you provided, I would suspect a skin infection, either bacterial, fungal or parasitic. I would suggest having a veterinarian examined him so that further tests can be performed in order to determine what the exact cause of these scabs is. Flint may need to be on a course of antibiotics or anti-parasitic medications to treat this. However, treatment would be based on test results and physical examination findings. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed

Thanks for sending the picture! It appears to be a wart like growth with a small scab on top. These are common in small breed dogs. If it grows or changes rapidly, then I would still have her veterinarian check it out. Otherwise I do not suspect it will be a problem for her. You can try to clean the scab off for her. Good luck!

It looks like Lilly has crusts or scabs on her skin. This can occur when there is an infection or inflammation affecting the skin. I would recommend that Lily be seen by your veterinarian to determine what may be going on. They may recommend antibiotics or a special shampoo to help with this condition