My puppy has a crusty bald patch that won't heal. Should I worry?

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.

I'm sorry to hear Benito is having a skin issue. Focalized hair loss can be secondary to a contact allergy, skin parasites (mites), an infection (bacterial or fungal), or an underlying medical issue. If it isn't itching or bothering him, I would recommend stopping the topical therapies and then having it evaluated at his next set of shots to see if they can determine the underlying cause for his skin lesion and any treatment that may be needed. If he starts bothering at it or it starts spreading I'd have him seen sooner. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern! What you are describing sounds as though Toby may be dealing with a skin allergy. I would recommend bathing with a shampoo such as douxo PS calm shampoo and bathe twice weekly. I would also recommend using welactin omega 3 fish oil and essential 6 spot on. If this does not help, I would have Toby examined by a veterinarian for the most appropriate treatment recommendations. There are many other prescription options to help treat the symptoms for allergies. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Chronic skin disease could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. 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 lesions 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 his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Pipsqueek wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If the skin is not getting much better after 1 month, I recommend to have him examined. Those spots on Ollie could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, an endocrine disease or a 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 his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Dogs are generally not allergic to grains. Protect the areas from licking or scratching and he may need to wear and Elizabethan collar at all times. Checking for mange is easy and I recommend to have this done. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It does look like Toby's skin is quite irritated! The small bumps could mean that there is bacteria in his skin (also known as pyoderma) and he should see a vet for examination and appropriate medications. However, there is usually an underlying cause for the itching and subsequent infection. The most common causes would be fleas, ticks, mites, or allergies. Allergies can be from a range of things, including flea saliva, food proteins like chicken or beef, or the environment like dust, pollen, mold, or grass. If Toby has a food allergy, he may benefit from a novel protein diet or a prescription dog food for allergies. These are good things to discuss with your vet. While you wait for his appointment, try to prevent Toby from further itching his inflamed skin to prevent further damage. You can cover him with a dog or human shirt or try to put socks on his feet. If he is licking then he may need to wear a cone/e-collar. You can try to use some hydrocortisone cream on the itchy spots, but don't let Toby lick it off!

Hello there, Round, circular patches of hair loss are often indicative of a severe skin infection. Simon needs to see his veterinarian this week. They will recommend testing some of his skin to see if bacteria or fungus is causing these lesions to know which medications to use. They may also recommend medicated shampoos. There may be an underlying predisposing factor in this skin infection, such as an allergy to an animal protein in his diet or the environment. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.