My dog has a skin irritation on one side of her face. What's wrong?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From your description, it sounds as though Jojo is fighting a bacterial skin infection. It is hard to say for sure without pictures being unable to examine him. I would recommend a chlorhexidine based shampoo such as Douxo PS chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until the infection is resolved. A spray such as malacetic conditioning spray should also be used and applied to the affected area 2-3 times daily until resolved. These can be found online quite easily and if you are unable to get these delivered to your area, something comparable should suffice. If the skin condition worsens I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him 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.

That lesion is very irritated on Nana's poor little neck! Lesions like this can be related to trauma, a skin infection, the beginning of a hot spot or an infected cyst under the skin. I can't tell from the photo, but if it looks like bruising, then there is also a concern for a bleeding disorder and she needs to get to the vet right away. Assuming there is no bruising, I recommend to have the lesion examined by the veterinarian since it is so red. There are a few things you can do at home that may help until you get her into the vet. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You can wash the lesion with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash her whole body, just the spot). Protect the areas from licking or scratching. A cool (not cold) compress twice a day may also make it feel better. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Although I can't tell for sure, the area in the picture appears to be a hotspot. A hotspot occurs when an animal scratches or chews at an area to the point of causing trauma to the skin. Often times these areas are moist and very irritated but a large scab can form after some time has passed. Given the location of the lesion, I would be concerned that Lola has been scratching at her ear. I would monitor her for shaking of the head, discharge or redness in the ears or scratching at that area. If you notice any of these signs, she may have an ear infection. Other potential causes for the lesion other than a hot spot would be trauma, mange or an auto-immune issue. If the lesion is not resolving or seems to be getting worse, I would recommend that you have Lola seen by your veterinarian. They may recommend a skin scraping or cytology to better determine what is going on.

Based on the picture it is difficult to tell if there is irritation on the surface of the skin or pigment changes underneath it. 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. If the area is itchy I recommend you have your pet seen by a vet to help determine the cause. 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. You can use an e-collar (cone) to help prevent your pet from licking the area, as allowing them to lick could lead to infection. i hope this helps!

This could indeed be mange, an allergy or a bacterial or fungal skin infection. Sarcoptic mange and a fungal infection are contagious to people so I strongly suggest you make an appointment with your vet for a skin exam. Your vet will do a skin scrape and look at it under the microscope, hopefully finding a mange mite. He may also take a brush sample to try and grow a fungus in a test tube. Please make an appointment today.

I would recommend taking Blue to a veterinarian. It looks like scars from the picture but if her skin is turning red then the redness can be allergies. It looks almost like she has hives but the picture is not too great in showing that. I would recommend a veterinarian immediately if she has bumps (hives). Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It could be allergies, and although allergies occur more frequently when dogs are a little older, some younger dogs can be affected too. Since the lesions are itchy parasites (such as demodex, etc.) and infection ( bacterial, fungal) need to ruled out as well. Since your guy is uncomfortable the best plan is to see you vet to test for the above so that the correct treatment is prescribed. If the lesions resolve and recur work up for allergy will likely be recommended. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!