Why does my outdoor Labrador have skin sores all over her body?

This looks like a skin infection. It can either be bacterial or fungal. Your veterinarian can evaluate Max's skin and provide medication to properly treat him. This treatment may be oral medication but also topical shampoos. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. A skin scraping and skin cytology should be performed to rule out mites and to determine the type of infection present (bacterial vs fungal). Your dog will most likely need antibiotics/antifungals longterm to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo will be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.


Poor Loca! There are a number of skin problems that can cause scabbed-over sores like this. The most common possibilities would include allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment recommendations would depend on the underlying problem, so I would recommend having Loca examined by a vet as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without knowing more about the case and examining him. However, if these infections are recurrent, I would have to assume that this could be due to allergies. An examination and gathering more information would help tremendously. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there. It looks like Pepper needs some antibiotics. The hairless area and bump appear to be raised and infected. I would recommend taking Pepper to your vet and having them check the bump and prescribe medication to help it heal. She may also need a cone to stop licking it. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like your dog has a skin infection, most likely caused by allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from a protein in her food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, dust, etc. I would recommend taking Praisy in to see the vet so she can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up the skin and get on a good flea control. You may also ask about a medicated shampoo, these can help clear up the skin more quickly. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control the allergy symptoms like Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It appears that Lexi has pustules on her abdomen based on the pictures you provided. It appears to be superficial but I cannot see the rest of the body and if other parts of the body are affected. If this is just isolated to the abdomen and is not worsening, I would try these things first. If no improvement or the condition worsens, I would take her in to be seen by a veterinarian as she may need oral antibiotics in addition to topical therapy. I hope this helps! 1. Douxo S3 Pyo shampoo - bathe twice weekly and lather for 8-10 min prior to rinsing 2. Miconahex spray - apply this to the affected area 2-3 times daily on the days you are not bathing 3. Essential 6 spot on oil - apply as directed on the box. All of the above products can be purchased online quite easily. I hope this helps! If you can, shave away the hair at the affected area so that you can get the medications to get to the skin easier.