My dog has a stomach rash after spay and shots. What should I do?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The most important part of treatment of a rash is to stop the self-trauma. I strongly recommend getting an E-collar for Bess. Once you have this on, I would clean the rash with warm water, and then dry it very well. If there is yellow/cream/green debris, or the pimples are very numerous, then antibiotics might be required. I would try the e-collar for a couple days, if it isn't looking better fairly quickly then I suggest going back to your vet to discuss if antiboitics are required. There isn't really anything that you can put on it in the mean-time to help with the itch, as steroid creams might make it worse if there is a bad infection. Once you stop the licking with the E-collar it should start to improve. Best of luck with Bess.

Poor girl, that doesn't look very comfortable. I'd recommend wiping the areas of with hydrogen peroxide once (avoiding the incision for her spay), and then putting her in a baby onsie (maybe two) in addition to an e-collar. The onsie is to protect her a skin if she tries to scratch. If it's looking worse instead of better after 24 hours, I'd recommend taking her back to the vet to see if she need antibiotics. Itching or licking damages skin, which allows normal bacteria on the surface to set up a mild infection, and sometimes the immune system can clear it up if the itching stops, but sometimes oral or topical medications are required.

From the pictures, it looks like skin irritation, and I don't think it's caused by something more serious such as from the spay. If Stella is chewing at the area, that certainly can be causing it to get worse. I am concerned about infection in that area, and she does need to see a vet to have this treated. I'd take her into a vet today or tomorrow. I hope this helps!

That looks quite uncomfortable. I'm surprised that she isn't super itchy. I don't see any obvious causes in the picture - such areas that make me suspicious of a bacterial or yeast infection. My top guesses be allergies (flea, food, environment, or even a contact allergy such as being allergic to your laundry detergent), with skin parasites or a superficial infection definitely possible. Since it's such a large area, it's going to be hard to apply an ointment - if you have a medicated bath for another dog (one that is for superficial infections) that may help. Wiping the area with witch hazel could calm in down. A mild (1%) hydrocortisone cream could also calm down the area. I would definitely recommend getting her to the vet as soon as possible. They are likely to need to do an exam saying she's in good health before she can be added to the insurance, and she's not going to qualify until her skin is better.

She could be having an acute allergic reaction to something such as grass or some type of chemical on the ground. You can try washing her off using a mild cleanser such is Dawn dish soap or oatmeal-based pet shampoo. If it doesn't clear up within 8 to 12 hours then I would recommend having your veterinarian do an exam. In the meantime if you start scratching or itching at it you'll need to stop her as that could cause a secondary bacterial infection.

So sorry about the problems after your dog's spay. If your dog is licking near or around the incision or at the clipper irritation, then you need to obtain an elizabethan collar or a Donut from your veterinarian or PetCo to help avoid further licking. I would keep in place until you have a chance to reach out to your veterinarian tomorrow, then you might want to drop by and have your dogs incision and skin double checked for any complications and advise as to treatment, if any, Normally animals receive some kind of pain management in the form of oral medication post op for spay operations, so double check that you are giving the medication prescribed or ask for medication when you see your veterinarian. This will help to cut down on licking or chewing. Lastly, there is no harm in applying a small amount of soothing ointment to the skin rash such as Neosporin or hydrocortisone cream a couple of times a day to help reduce the soreness and induce healing of the clipper rash until you can see your veterinarian. Despite you not being able to reach your veterinarian, please follow up with them as soon as you can Monday morning as most clinics want to be sure their animals receiving surgical get support and treatment whenever there is a complication. So e-collar to prevent licking and chewing, soothing ointment, and recheck at your vet clinic as soon as possible. Best of luck, Thanks for the question. Steve Popish, DVM

Place an e-collar (cone) on Snowball to prevent licking which can delay healing or introduce bacteria. Have her examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the cause of the rash. Antibiotics can be used for bacterial infection, antifungals for a yeast infection. Topical and systemic treatment may be necessary. Do not give any medications to Snowball without the advice of a veterinarian. Legally, we are prohibited from recommending medications in the absence of a physical exam and a patient-veterinarian-client relationship.