My dog has a skin infection on her side. What should I do now?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Buddy. He needs to see a veterinarian. It is possible that he has a bacterial skin infection, but there are other possibilities as well. He will likely need skin tests to look for ringworm and mites. Based on these results, medications can be prescribed to help him feel better. I hope this information helps!

It's difficult to tell exactly what's going on here without seeing the lesion and being able to do some testing, but I am suspicious of a skin infections. These infections can be due to fungi, bacteria, parasites, or all of the above. There is often a primary problem that causes the itch, so if Maggie has been itching for a while, then it's best to get the source of the itch discovered by a vet. I'll give you a few tips for dealing with a skin infection, but if the lesion gets worse, or is not getting any better within a week of treatment, then I'd recommend you have a vet evaluate Maggie. I recommend doing the following every day until the skin appears normal again: 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesions. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. I hope that helps and all is well with Maggie.

You will first need to determine the type of infection. A recheck with your veterinarian would be recommended. Samples can be submitted for fungal culture as well as for bacterial culture and sensitivity. If it is a fungal infection, your vet can dispense an antifungal. Some of these infections can take weeks t months to resolve. If it is a bacterial infection, the sensitivity panel should determine the most effective antibiotic to use in treatment. Allergies should also be ruled out as an underlying cause. They can be frustrating to diagnose since they have multiple causes (food, environmental, parasites). Discuss allergy testing, food elimination trials, hydrolyzed diets and antihistamine use with your veterinarian. Legally, we are prohibited from recommending a medication in the absence of a physical exam. Any prescription medications will need to come from your vet.

I am sorry to hear about Daisy! Due to the size of this lesion and the fact that it isn't improving, I would recommend taking Daisy to the vet for examination of this swelling. I would be concerned that we could have a bacterial infection like an abscess, that this could be a spider bite or other insect bite, or possibly even a mass/tumor. The vet can examine the area and may try to aspirate the swelling (use a small needle to remove any fluid present or collect cells that may help identify the cause of the swelling and the best treatment). Best of luck with Daisy!

What you are seeing could be due to a bacterial / fungal skin infection. This could also be a systemic disease that Sarah is suffering from. I would recommend having Sarah examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

There's no way to know for sure from a photograph, but it does look like a bacterial infection. It is important to have this seen by your vet to determine what it is so the correct treatment can be started as soon as possible before it gets worse or is a sign of an underlying problem. Your vet will do an exam, possibly labwork, and based on these results will be better able to tell you what is causing this and how best to treat it.

Oh poor Doja! You have got to get her to stop scratching it. She may need a bigger E-collar. I think it would be best to take her back to your veterinarian and discuss skin scraping, cytology and a culture. She may have a fungus or resistant bacterial infection which would not respond to the prescribed medications.