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My dog has recurring scabs and a red bump. Could it be allergies?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | 9 months and 1 day old | 32.6 lbs
My dog has scabs on his head and they've been there about a week. The vet said he didn't think it was anything and just thought it was a scratch from anorher dog , because he was around another dog who had no fur on her nose and the same scabs. But they keep coming back and at one point he had 4 scabs on his head and its been about a week and a half since then. Should I have anything to worry about, also he had a red bump on his stomach right on his penis on the outside of it
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on April 5th, 2018
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!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpfulRelated Answers from Veterinarians
Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on January 27th, 2018
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.1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on March 11th, 2017
This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Vincent regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on May 9th, 2017
This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Max regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on November 19th, 2017
This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Milo regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful