Why is my dog throwing up and has red, irritated skin patches?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Regarding the vomiting, I would suggest to withhold food for the next 8 hours and then start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. 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.

She could have allergies if her skin is turning pink and she might need an anti-histamine and/or a corticosteroid to help treat. If she is itching her rear end on the floor then she might need her anal glands expressed. The vomiting may have been caused by eating something that upset her stomach since it only happened once and seems to have resolved. Monitor her for additional signs and have her seen on Monday. If she becomes very lethargic then she needs to be seen sooner. You could buy a thermometer and take a rectal temperature to see if she does have a fever. A dog's body temperature is higher than ours and normal can be up to 102.5 degrees.

Red skin usually indicates inflammation of the skin, but can also be seen with hyperthermia (excessively hot) and infections in the blood stream. If the skin was suddenly red, then I would be concerned about infection or hyperthermia. Hyperthermia can happen to a dog exposed to a hot environment, or if they ate certain plants (hops, marijuana, etc.) or drugs. If the skin has been red for a few days, then it's likely inflamed from something she had contact with or the environment. However, they usually don't act anxious with this condition, so it's likely that something else is happening. It's best to have a vet check her as soon as possible to see if it's a serious condition. If you want to discuss more and send photos, you are welcome to start a consult.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting and inappetence can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. She may be having side effects to the medications administered. Hair loss and scratching are likely due to allergies. For this reason, I highly recommend that you have Shelby evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as I am afraid she is likely becoming dehydrated. They would be able to check for these possibilities and also check her hydration status and give her medications to make her feel better. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. The cefpodoxime should help with the bacterial infection component and the prednisone should help with the itch component. 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!

Depending on the size, distribution, and appearance of the red bumps they can be a great variety of things. If they have all come about suddenly and are occurring in concert with the vomiting, I would concerned that Mootzie is undergoing an allergic reaction. If the symptoms do not seem to be worsening (no respiratory distress, swelling of the face / lips, etc), you do not need to rush her into the veterinarian tonight for treatment. I would fast her of any food and water for the next 12-18 hours to see if she settles down. If she doesn't or the clinical signs worsen or progress, get her to a hospital as soon as possible.

The pictures aren't very good quality and I can't really make out any discoloration. Here is some general advice for splotchy skin. Splotchy skin or red patches can be due to several things including allergies, a reaction to the shampoo, parasites or just a one time 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 her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Protect the areas from licking or scratching. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have her examined by her veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.