Why is my dog's skin blistering, bleeding, and losing fur?

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.

It sounds like your dog has a skin infection, most likely caused by allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from a protein in her food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, dust, etc. I would recommend taking Praisy in to see the vet so she can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up the skin and get on a good flea control. You may also ask about a medicated shampoo, these can help clear up the skin more quickly. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control the allergy symptoms like Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Good luck!

Poor Romeo! Skin problems in dogs are usually related to allergies. Humans display allergies in our eyes and noses, but dogs do so in their skin. The top allergies are flea, food and inhalant. Flea allergies typically cause hair loss and itchiness on the back 1/3 of the dog especially around the tail. Food can cause ear problems and general skin issues. Inhalant tend to be on the legs and the abdomen and sometimes ears. When a dog has allergies, the skin isn't as healthy so it can't fight off the normally occurring yeast and bacteria on the skin, so they tend to get secondary bacterial or yeast infections. I am concerned that Romeo might have a secondary infection. Inhalant allergies tend to start from 3-5 years of age and tend to get worse... I recommend taking him to a veterinary and get a thorough exam. They will most likely do some diagnostics like a skin impression smear (push a slide on skin and check under a microscope), skin scrape (for mites) and a fungal culture. After they do that, they will discuss a treatment plan with you. Please have patience, there is not one plan that works for all allergy dogs. It is sometimes trial and error to find what works.... Kind of like it is for human allergies. :- ) Allergies can not be cured, only controlled. Communication is very important with your veterinarian to let them know what works and what doesn't. Good luck getting Romeo feeling better! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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. Logan may indeed have pyoderma, but further testing is needed to help determine if this is the case. Make note of if there is a seasonal recurrence of the lesions, as environmental allergies often cause recurring irritation. I recommend making an appointment to have Logan seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the red areas you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet may want to 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.

Poor Scrappy Brown! It's definitely a constant battle when dealing with an allergy in a dog. Unfortunately there is no cure for these allergies and they require constant management. It would be worth talking with your veterinarian about a new medication called Cytopoint. Cytopoint is an injection that has very good success in treating skin allergies in dogs. This injection lasts for about 4 weeks and could be likely be used for long term treatment of Scrappy's allergies. Medicated bathing would be another option to treat Scrappy. This bathing is done two to three times weekly to help manage skin infections and yeast overgrowths. It would also be worth calling your veterinarian to see if they can prescribe a medicated shampoo like Douxo for Scrappy's skin. You can also consider a specialized diet for Scrappy as food allergies often cause skin itching. A prescription diet like Royal Canin Ultamino may be a good option for him. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope the above options work to make Scrappy more comfortable!

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Scrappy 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 cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.

This presentation could be due to deep localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria technically called deep pyoderma). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.