My dog has a spreading skin infection. What treatment is needed?

Hello. The area is definitely irritated & probably infected. Clean the area with a skin antiseptic, one with either chlorhexidine or benzoyl peroxide as the main ingredient. If Wangu is licking the area, pick up an Elizabethan cone or collar to wear so he cannot reach the spot. Do not administer any medications until your vet has had a chance to examine the area. To help with pain & discomfort, take a bag of frozen vegetables like peas, wrap in a tea towel & hold against the area for 10 minutes several times during the day. The cold will numb the area giving him some relief. Once your vet sees this, I am sure he will start antibiotics & possibly advise other treatments. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Poor Tyson looks like he is quite uncomfortable dealing with this skin infection. He likely needs a course of an antibiotic as well as the Ivermectin to treat this infection and it may take a week or so to see improvement. His right eye is closed and appears that there may be some discharge as well. I would recommend discussing with your vet getting an oral antibiotic and an antibiotic eye drop for him. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tyson. Poor guy! He does look uncomfortable. I would continue everything you are doing treatment wise. Is the benzoyl peroxide cream a shampoo? If not, I would a shampoo as bathing can help. This helps to flush the mites out of the hair follicles. He will likely need an antibiotic as I suspect that he has developed a secondary bacterial infection. This is common. This should help the skin heal as the mites are treated. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Thanks for the pictures. It appears as though Sparky may have a bacterial skin infection, or puppy pyoderma. A lot of times puppy pyoderma resolves on it's own. If it gets worse than this I would recommend taking Sparky to the Vet to be evaluated and prescribed oral antibiotics. You can try a medicated shampoo: bath every 2-3 days and allow the lather to sit on the affected skin for 10 mins before rinsing. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27306 I hope this helps and I wish Sparky the best!

Poor Tyson! This sounds like an allergy or a skin infection of some kind - both of these often cause lots of itchy bumps like this. He will probably need prescription medication (a steroid and/or antibiotics) to treat the problem effectively, so I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam when you are able to. In the meantime, you can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to help soothe his skin and temporarily relieve the itching - this will not treat the underlying problem causing the bumps, but may help to make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does look like Max has a skin infection. Washing him was a good idea but he likely needs oral antibiotics to cure it. Puppies commonly get skin infections on their belly because they have a weak immune system. I would take him to the vet to get medications started. Good luck and kisses to Max!

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. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics 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 may 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.