My dog has new skin issues, licking stomach and genitals. Why?

Thank you for your questions about Ginger. That area looks very inflamed. There are four main reasons for persistent skin issues and you should work with your veterinarian to start ruling out the causes. Flea allergy, environmental allergies, food allergies and endocrine diseases can all cause similar looking skin lesions. At home protect the area from licking and wash it daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse it well). You can apply a small amount of coconut oil and rub it well into the skin. Also make sure she does not lick this off! This may help the skin to clear up. Starting Ginger on an Omega 3 fatty acid (make sure to get one for dogs as human products can contain toxic Xylitol) as this helps improve the skin health. If this does not help significantly within a week or so, I recommend to speak with your veterinarian to start treatment. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

Chronic skin lesions could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Sammy wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Those spots on Lily could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash her whole body, just those spots). You can also give an anti-histamine (call your veterinarian for selection and dosing instructions). Protect the areas from licking or scratching and she may need to wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have her examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Those spots on Tashimi could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Check/treat for fleas. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash her whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching with an elizabethan collar. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have her examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This 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.

This could indicate a yeast or fungal infection as well as a bacteria infection of the skin. As the over the counter shampoo hasn't worked the next step is for your veterinarian to do an exam, determine if/what infections are there and what medication is needed.

I cannot give you a diagnosis over the internet just based on what you have described. She could have a yeast infection of the skin. Sometimes these things need a long course of oral antifungals to clear up along with the topical shampoo. That being said, she could have an autoimmune problem, underlying allergies, a uterine infection (if she is not spayed) or any number of other things. It is recommended you get her to a vet for an examination so you she can get a diagnosis and the proper treatment.