My dog has skin patches, poor appetite, and scratches. Is it serious?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to mange which is contagious. However, other skin conditions such as allergies cannot be ruled out. It is concerning that he is not eating. Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Yoyo evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dollag looks like she has a skin infection. She could have microscopic mites, a bacterial, or a yeast infection. I recommend taking her to a vet for an exam and to test the skin for the above things. I would stop using human shampoo as dogs skin and ours have different pH levels and can make things much worse. The decreased appetite could be from the diet change or because her skin is so uncomfortable. At this point in time, there is nothing all natural you can do until the infection is cleared. After it is addressed you can talk to your vet about what caused the infection and ways to prevent them in the future. This may be medicated dog shampoos or other medications. Good luck and I hope Dollag gets relief soon!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry Sashe has these issues on her skin. Skin issues can be caused by many different factors including parasites (fleas, ticks, mange, etc), bacterial infections, yeasts, allergies, self-trauma, and other causes. To determine the cause you will need to see a vet where they will take a sample (skin scraping) and look at it under the microscope. This is the first test. Sometimes biopsies need to be taken to get an answer. Different problems have many different solutions, so there is not a 'single solution' that will fix skin issues. I recommend you have Sashe to the vet, and a dermatologist might be required if the initial tests don't show an answer. Skin diseases can be very simple, or very complicated. I hope Sashe feels better soon! Best of luck!

Poor pup! It's possible she has developed an allergy (it could be environmental or food related) or an endocrine disease (like hypothyroidism or cushings disease). It sounds like the lesions are all over and I don't like the fact that her nipples are becoming discolored. I think your best option is to have her examined by the veterinarian. At home you can try giving her an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets but it may not correct the underlying cause. This can however improve over all skin health. There are two brands of food, Royal Canin and Nutro, which are aimed at skin health and they may help as well but again, they may not affect the underlying problem. Lastly, bathing her in an oatmeal type pet shampoo can help to condition the skin. This should not be done more than once a week. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks fir using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Rascal is super cute! I'm glad you posed the pictures. To me his gums look pink and not pale. It's hard to see the scabs you mentioned in between his toes. But if he known to have allergies he may have an infection from yeast or bacterial overgrowth. You can try to use a medicated shampoo and wash his feet and let the lather stay in contact with his toes for 10 mins 2-3 times per week. If the appetite stays decreased longer than normal for him then I would have your Vet check him out, he does appear thin! Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jaguar. Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach is meant to give you general veterinary advice. As veterinarians, we cannot diagnose or treat pets that we have not examined in person. So I am happy to guide you, but I cannot legally prescribe any medication for Jaguar. From your pictures, his skin does have the appearance of an infection. This can be due to an allergy to something in his diet (more likely if he has vomiting and diarrhea as well) or the environment. Mites can also cause this appearance as can a fungal infection known as ringworm. His veterinarian will need to examine him and may recommend skin testing. In the meantime, you can bathe him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mochi! I am glad you will be bringing him to the Vet! I would worry about mites, either demodex or scabies, ring worm or a bad skin infection. If it is a skin infection the Vet will likely prescribe a medicated shampoo and antibiotics. If he has mites they will prescribe medications. As of now I would just wait for the exam, I would say bathe him but it would be ideal for the Vet to see his skin as is. Try to feed him some boiled chicken or watered down canned puppy food. Good luck!