My dog has skin problems. What causes them and when to see a vet?

The redness and hairloss on Charlie 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 his 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 his whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by his veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like Charlie needs to be examined by the veterinarian. Those spots and the lesions on the muzzle could be several things including ringworm (which humans can get) 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. Ringworm is diagnosed at the vet's office by examined the hairs. 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 his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Charlie wear an elizabethan collar at all times if he is trying to lick or scratch the lesions. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Chalie! Black discoloration in the skin can occur as a result of chronic inflammation (from infection, fleas, allergies, etc.) or due to endocrine/metabolic conditions (such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease). Make sure that Chalie is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Nexgard, Bravecto or K9 Advantix II) regularly. You can also try bathing him in a gentle oatmeal based dog shampoo, because this can be soothing on the skin. I also recommend taking Chalie to his vet for further evaluation of his skin to determine if there are more chronic conditions that should be addressed. I hope that all goes well!

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.

There are four main causes of persistent skin issues and you must figure out the underlying cause to address the problem. The causes are: flea allergy, food allergy (this needs to be ruled out with a hydrolyzed diet), environmental allergy or hypothyroidism. With out any further information, it’s hard to know how to advise next steps. If your veterinarian is not comfortable with treating chronic skin conditions, find one who is. I recommend to rule out fleas with a product like Simparica. I rule out food allergy with a diet called Ultamino. Hypothyroidism is a blood test. Environmental allergies are unfortunately very common and also more complicated but they can be determined with a blood test as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect it could be bacterial skin infection or allergic skin problem. Please, take your Charlie to your local vets for an appointment as he will likely need treatment with skin ointment with antibiotic and/or anti-inflammatory agent.

Charlie Ferreira looks like she may have a chronic bacterial/yeast skin infection +/-mange (from skin mites), likely secondary to chronic inflammation from environmental and/or food allergies. I recommend seeing a new vet perhaps, and starting her on an oral flea/tick preventative such as Simparica, NexGard, or Bravecto that also treats mange and will cover the cause of flea allergy dermatitis if she does have fleas. In addition, she may benefit from a 2 week course of an oral skin antibiotic such as Simplicef, a medicated antibacterial/antifungal shampoo such as Malaseb twice weekly for 1-2 months, and either a daily/year round allergy pill called Apoquel and/or a monthly allergy injection such as Cytopoint. Gradually switching her to an allergy diet such as Hills z/d or Royal Canin Ultamino at the same time or within a week symptoms don’t improve on NexGard, Simplicef, Malaseb and Apoquel will likely give you the best chance of resolving her discomfort and symptoms. Good luck!