My dog has scabs, peeling skin, and dry ears. What should I do?

This appears to be some sort of topical dermatitis. It can be caused by an underlying allergy, a bacterial infection or a fungal infection. You will most likely need to put a topical medication on the sores to help them clear up. You can try some triple antibiotic ointment at home and see if that helps. If not, you will need to take Chico to see your veterinarian. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Those spots on Enzo could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. 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 his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just those spots). You can also check/treat for fleas. Protect the areas from licking or scratching and he may need to wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would recommend doing testing on the ears to find out what is causing the scabs. If your pet is outside a lot, then flea bites are possible and it is recommended to purchase flea bite repellent at your local pet store to start, followed by topical triple antibiotic to get the scabs to heal. If your pet is kept mostly indoors, two common causes of this are demodexx mites or a yeast infection. Also another condition called ear margin vasculitis could be the cause. Ear margin vasculitis is a spontaneous condition where the vessels at the ear tip margin become inflamed creating a scabby appearance to the skin. Since all 3 of these look very similar it is important to get testing done in the form of a skin scrape/cytology and/or skin biopsy because each is treated so differently and it takes out a lot of the guess-work. Therefore scheduling an appointment with your vet is needed for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Those spots on Maggie could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. Treat for fleas. 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. You can wash the lesions once a day (not her whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Any treatment will depend on the underlying cause. It could be a skin infection or allergic reaction or even an autoimmune condition. An exam with your veterinarian or a veterinary dermatologist would be needed for a definitive diagnosis. You can discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets, food elimination trials as well as antihistamine use with your vet. In the meantime, if your dog is scratching, use an e-collar (cone) to prevent further trauma. Consider adding an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement to the diet. EFAs can promote a healthy [skin and coat](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-vitamins/dog-skin-and-coat). Choose a good quality fish oil as a source of EFAs. Systemic or topical antibiotics or antifungals can treat bacterial or yeast infection. Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose since they have many causes. Once diagnosed, most allergies can be managed with a combination of medication and diet.

That sign could be related to a superficial skin infection (bacterial or yeast). Usually a medicated antibacterial shampoo preparation is enough to sort out the problem. Malaseb shampoo could be a good option in her case. I would recommend to have it prescribed from your local veterinarian, following a check up to confirm clinical suspicion. 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.

Poor guy. I would recommend having Baxer seen by your vet for something like this. He may have an underying skin condition such as demodexx mites or a staph infection that is causing these skin lesions. His skin needs to be tested and possibly cultured to determine the underlying condition so that he receives proper treatment. I hope that your pet Baxter gets well soon. Best wishes and take care.