Why is my dog scratching his chin, bleeding nails, and so lethargic?

Since this has been going on for some time, I recommend getting him in to your vet for an exam. Without being seen by your vet, there is no way to know why your dog is so itchy, it could be allergies, fleas, bacterial or fungal skin infection, or more and the treatment is different depending on what the underlying cause is. Your vet can help you get to the cause of the problem so that can be treated rather than just treating the symptoms.

Simply dry skin shouldn’t be that itchy. I would recommend that you have Ricky examined by the vet to check for mange, fleas, allergies, or skin infection which could be causing the itch. Depending on the cause of the itch, there are lots of treatment options, ranging from medicated shampoos or mousses to oral antibiotics-inflammatories or antibiotics. Make sure you change the bandage daily. I don’t like air impermeable dressings like cling wrap, because most wounds need oxygen to prevent moisture from getting trapped underneath and causing additional skin issues.

Considering the signs you described and the pics, this presentation is likely to be due to an allergy, although skin infections or mites could be responsible for it as well. First, to rule out skin parasites, I would recommend to ask your vet to prescribe a good quality flea treatment and perform some skin tests to rule out infections and mites. If all the tests are negative, allergies can be considered and treated.

He could have allergies and/or a nail infection. He should be examined by a vet to diagnose and treat the problem. Your vet can prescribe an antibiotic, anti-histamine, and/or a corticosteroid to treat. You could also soak his paws in a warm Epsom salt solution and see if that helps.

It sounds like Hatch is itchy. You need to treat the cause of his scratching in order to prevent the wounds. This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Best of luck.

I would be suspicious of mange causing this. Mange is caused by a microscopic mite that burrows under the skin and causes intense itching. In order to get this diagnosed and properly treated, you will have to take Zion to a vet. Considering the skin also appears to be infected (secondary infections are common with long-standing infestations) and very sore, it's best to take Zion to the vet as soon as possible for treatment. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope that helps and Zion gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are medications that can be used for scratching to reduce the urge to do it such as Apoquel or prednisone. This is only to help temporarily but it is important to address the possible allergy as well. 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!