My dog has a sensitive, scaly patch on her back. What could it be?

This presentation 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). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

Skin problems in dogs are usually secondary to allergies. Due to the her having dry skin on her backside, and the history of fleas, I think that Samantha has a flea allergy. Flea allergies tend to make dogs lose hair and become very itchy on the back 1/3 of their body. The key to getting rid of fleas is to make sure that you treat the environment where Samantha is as well as her. The fleas that you can see are only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the flea life cycle is in the carpet , bedding inside and grass outside. There is a stage of the life cycle that can not be killed with pesticides. So- it is important to treat the dog and environment and then repeat it in 3-4 weeks. If your dog has a flea allergy, it is important to keep them on a monthly flea prevention because even one flea bite will make them itch. If your fleas are truly gone and you have Samantha on a regular flea prevention, she could have another allergy like an inhalant allergy. I would recommend a visit to the veterinarian to figure out what is going on with her abdomen. Bumps could be a sign of a bacterial infection. Your vet may be able prescribe a treatment to get her feeling better. The thing to remember about allergies and skin problems in dogs is that there is not one magic treatment that works on all dogs. It will require team work between you and your vet to determine what works best for Samantha. Don't get frustrated if the first thing doesn't work, go back in for a recheck and try the next treatment.

Thank you for your question. Patches must be pretty uncomfortable. There are several possible reasons for this type of itchiness. The first thing I recommend is make sure he has been treated for fleas. Even one little flea can trigger massive itching in a dog that is sensitive to them. Other things that can cause this type of itching are food allergies, environmental allergies, mites, and bacterial skin infections. When the skin becomes this damaged, a trip to your veterinarian is necessary. We often have to prescribe antibiotics to control local bacterial infections that can result from all the scratching. We also need to get the itching under control. Sometimes this means steroids, and sometimes we prescribe a medication specifically to control itching. A t-shirt can be used to protect the skin from further scratching while it heals. There are some over the counter anti-itch sprays you can try, but many times they are not strong enough. I hope this helps, and Patches is feeling better soon!

Hi there and thank you for your question. The first thing that needs to be completely ruled out first is a flea allergy. It only takes one flea to induce a flea allergy. Having Sam on a efficacious year round preventative will very beneficial. If after a few months of using a flea preventative and the patch does not dissipate or improve, then I could be suspicious about a seasonal allergy (like grass or pollen or rag weed, etc). A veterinarian can be able to determine what other environmental allergy he has through an allergy test. Once that has been determined, Sam can be on the appropriate treatment (allergy injections or certain medications can help). First rule out flea allergy though by having Sam on a month to month preventative!

I would recommend that Maggie get checked out by the vet. There can be many possible causes for skin flaking like this, including allergies, parasites, and seborrhea. Treatment would be determined on the suspected cause. https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/seborrhea/

It actually looks like a mild bacterial infection - I suggest you try this wound spray gel 3-4 times a day until healed. If no improvement after treating for about a week then you should have your vet check it. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-hot-spot-antimicrobial-gel-for-dogs

Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Opehli seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to shave the area and look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Opehli in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, and put an e-collar (cone) on Opehli to help reduce the risk of licking/scratching at the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions. The lesion in the picture looks like it could be a "hot spot" , and will not heal if she is able to lick or scratch at it. See the link below for more information: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952981