Why is my dog scratching his ears and chest? They're scabby & bloody.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to allergies. Benadryl is good as is prednisolone for example. However, these are only going to help with the itch temporarily. However, it is crucial to get rid of the allergic component and treat the allergy as if not, the itch will continue. Also, it is crucial to treat the likely secondary infection. There is no at home treatments as the other medication that can be used in cats for this is a prescription medication called prednisolone. One thing you can do at home besides dealing with the possible allergies is using an e-collar which you can get from your local pet store or online to prevent any further self-trauma. 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!

BJ needs to be examined by the veterinarian. Very itchy rashes can be due to conditions like scabies (which humans can get), bacteria infections or severe allergies. The veterinarian will preform a thorough medical exam and collect a medical history. BJ may get an easy test called a skin scraping to check for mites. When pets itch til they bled, they can be miserable. The doctor can provide medication to stop the itching quickly and make them feel better. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Have Linus rechecked by your veterinarian. Given his age, heart disease should be ruled out as a cause for the coughing. Chest xrays and an echocardiogram can assess cardiac size, architecture and function. If the heart checks out, consider advanced diagnostics such as a trans tracheal wash to collect a sample for pathology and culture. This may be able to diagnose infection or inflammatory process. The culture and sensitivity may identify the responsible organism as well as the best antibiotic to use in treatment. He may also have allergies which can be difficult to diagnose given the multiple causes. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement (usually a fish oil) to his diet to promote healthy skin. EFAs may also decrease inflammation and itching. Search www.petco.com for fish oil supplements such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps. If allergies are confirmed, your task is to try to determine what he is allergic to and decrease or eliminate it. Discuss food elimination trials, hydrolyzed diets and allergy testing with your vet. Confirm the dose of Benadryl you are giving is appropriate based on body weight. There are other antihistamines you can try, prescription and OTC, if Benadryl is ineffective. Again, discuss options with your veterinarian.

Because it is localized to the one spot than you can alternate neosporin with cortisone cream to help keep it clean and take away some of the itching. It does not appear scarred so hair should regrow when it heals. If it doesn't improve in the next day or so your vet can prescribe oral medication to help with the itching and infection

The next thing to do is go to the veterinarian. If the antihistamines are not working, he may need something stronger. These lesions could also now be infected. Make sure to protect the area from rubbing or scratching and he should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Have him examined soon.

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.

Tobi appears to have allergic skin disease, which sometimes involves secondary bacterial or yeast infection as well as the itchy skin. The raw patches and scab areas on Tobi make me think that he may need to be on antibiotics. Benadryl is usually not very effective for moderate-to-severe itching, and there are special allergy drugs designed just for dogs that work much better to help with allergies. I would ask your vet about Apoquel and Cytopoint medications for allergies. Also, Tobi probably needs to be on antibiotics but he would need a test like a skin culture to know for sure. Hope that helps!