My dog is sick, tired, worms, hair loss, and skin bumps. What's wrong?

Hi and thanks for your post! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of Nico's hair/skin condition may be without examining Nico first, but I can offer some potential possibilities. The bumps may be attributed to a flea allergy or another allergy to something in Nico's environment or to a particular food. However, there could be many other medical causes such as a fungal disorder or even an endocrine disorder. My best advice is to have Nico seen by his veterinarian. Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with an exam and diagnostic testing. I would recommend Nico visit his vet soon to have the possibilities above ruled out so he can receive the proper treatment. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it could be skin allergies. 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! There is really nothing specific you can try at home other than bathing him with a medicated shampoo you can get at your local pet store. This shampoo should contain chlorehexidine. In reality though, this is unlikely to resolve this issue completely. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello! Those lesions could be caused by an infection like bacteria or even fungus as well as allergies. Usually though mild infections and allergies don't cause dogs to be depressed/act abnormally. If his behavior continues, he has any vomiting, or his food/water intake goes down further I recommend having your veterinarian do an exam as those changes could be caused by something more serious, like liver issues, anemia, an infection or even cancer.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like some form of skin growth. These skin tags are usually benign and may just fall off leaving small skin sore but Lucky will need to be fully examined by a vet to make the final diagnosis. Please, take your dog to your local vets tomorrow for an appointment. Your vet may want to remove it under local anaesthesia if it is painful for Lucky

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Your dog appears to be young (under a year) from what I can tell based on the pictures and information you provided. The most likely diseases are as follows: 1. Parvo, a virus that primarily attacks the immune system and intestines of dogs and is very lethal if left without supportive care. 2. Intestinal parasites which can cause intestinal blockage and even anemia (depletion of red blood cells). 3. Other viruses with varying severities. This is not an exhaustive list, just the most common things for a puppy. They will all lead to dehydration and other secondary issues which can all be severe enough to cause death. Whatever the underlying disease, he looks very ill and needs attention from a veterinarian immediately. I would recommend taking him to your nearest emergency veterinary hospital as soon as possible. I hope this helps and your dog gets better!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based on what you are describing, and the pictures, I suspect that Willow may have an infection with ectoparasites, such as mites or fleas, that are causing her to be itchy. Your veterinarian can perform a skin scrape and evaluate the cells under a microscope to look for evidence of infectious agents. Please ensure that Willow is on a monthly topical flea and tick preventative that you purchase from your veterinarian; NOT one that can be purchased from a pet or grocery store, as these are not regulated and can be very toxic to pets. Willow could also have allergic skin disease, secondary to food or environmental agents. You can talk to your veterinarian about trying a diet trial to determine if Willow's itchy skin resolves on a particular novel protein diet. The thickened ears can be due to chronic ear infections, so your veterinarian will be able to examine the waxy debris under a microscope and prescribe the appropriate medication based on whether they see bacteria and/or yeast in Willow's ears. I hope this is helpful!

Scrappy needs to go to your veterinarian for an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause of this skin condition. It looks like a bacterial infection but he also could have mites, a fungal infection or it could be an autoimmune disease or tumors. If it's a severe bacterial infection with antibiotics and medicated baths this should improve. The longer he has these lesions the more likely the skin can become damaged and his fur may not grow back in. In addition to the skin scraping they may recommend a thyroid level test and perhaps a blood panel to check for other underlying disease. Scrappy will feel better once they get a diagnosis and the proper treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Scrappy.