My dog smells terrible and itches. What's causing his skin issues?

This sign, if the smell is generalized and coming from the skin, could be caused by skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and eventually antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. 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.

It's likely Sahara has either a bacterial infection, a yeast infection or severe allergies. Less frequently, an underlying endocrine disease may also be the root cause. When bad odors won't go away with a bath, it generally indicates a problem. I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian so that she can have the correct diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently. 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 itching and odor 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 Sahara wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If you are observing skin lesions and an odor he may have both a bacterial and yeast infection. While some cases can be treated topically and with medicated shampoos, more severe cases often requires oral antibiotic and antifungal therapy. As a first line therapy, start with a medicated shampoo that can be used for both yeast and bacterial infections such as Malaseb or Virbac or products recommended by your veterinarian. Additionally, it is important to make sure he is on a monthly flea prevention as many pets are sensitive to fleas. If this is secondary to allergies or what we refer to as atopy, he may require additional therapy including an allergy vaccine.

First, you would need to have the underlying condition diagnosed. This could be a bacterial, fungal or parasite (fleas or mites) infection. A physical exam with your veterinarian is required to make the diagnosis. Once you have this information, the appropriate treatment can be administered. Any treatment will depend on the diagnosis but may include systemic and/or topical treatments. In the meantime, use an e-collar (cone) to prevent licking or chewing and make sure Rex is on a monthly flea preventive to rule out fleas.

Did they treat him even if they didn't find them? I typically recommend putting them on an oral flea and tick prevention if I suspect mites. This is off-label for mites but helps. Oral flea and tick preventions are prescriptions so your veterinarian would have to write one or approve it. I would also be concerned about a secondary infection and would recommend medication if one exists. WIthout see Bedog it is difficult to say if there is one or not. Your veterinarian should be able to tell you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dogs usually smell bad when they have infections of the ears, skin or mouth (usually the gums). Usually this can be solved by locating the source of infection, then treating it effectively. For this, I reccomend taking Brownie to the veterinarian. The vet will easily be able to tell where the smell is coming from and prescribe the best treatment. For now, you can try washing her with a medicated shampoo (can find this at the pet store). You can also flush the ears with a product from the pet store. There are some videos on YouTube that give good tutorials how to do this right. I hope that helps and the smell issue gets taken care of soon.

Grundy could be licking himself due to fleas, an infection or anal gland issues. The bad smell could come from a skin infection or anal gland issues. Since his skin is nearly raw and he has an odor, it's best to have him examined by the veterinarian. The doctor may be able to correctly diagnose and treat him based upon the physical exam. Make sure the vet checks Grundy's anal glands as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.