My puppy has a scab on his head with red skin. Does he need a vet?

It looks like she has a skin infection. You could clean it with a wound wash and see if that helps. Otherwise, have your vet examine her to determine the cause and treat. She might need an antibiotic and corticosteroid to help treat.

It is really hard to tell from a photo alone what is going on in the skin, however it is evident that something is causing inflammation of the skin. Dermatitis can be caused by many things including infection, irtitants, parasites, allergies or metabolic conditions. With you being away stress may have had a role in this. Ask your friend if they have given any new foods or used new shampoo? I would advise you to get to a vet for a skin exam in the next day or 2 as it is best to nip this sort of thing in the bud before it spreads.

Scabs can be from a number of things including some minor skin irritation or injury that is healing. Puppy nails are very sharp, so it is possible a litter mate may have accidentally scratched your pup's head. As long as puppy is eating and acting normally, it is a good idea to just keep an eye on the spot and see if it heals. If the puppy appears sick, the area worsens, or it doesn't heal up, having a vet take a look at it is best as it could indicate a possible skin infection, or parasites that may be causing irritation.

These scabs could be due to itching from something such as fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!

If he doesn't seem to be bothered by it, you could try to clean the area with an wound wash and see if that loosens up the scab. Shaving the hair with a pair of clippers may also help. If the scab persists and/or he has other lesions, then he should be examined and treated by a vet. He may need an antibiotic and allergy medications to help treat.

Poor guy. This looks like a "hot spot" or superficial pyoderma (infected area) on the skin. This can be caused by an initial knick or scrap on the skin that later got infected and scabbed over. Flea bites are a common cause of hot spots, so its best to keep Bono on flea prevention year round it they are common in your area. Your vet should be able to prescribe some oral antibiotics to help this resolve completely. The wound spray you have may be sufficient, so its best to take it in with you to Bono's vet appt for your vet to see. If not, then the vet will likely recommend another topical to use. I hope that Bono's wound heals well. Best wishes and take care!

The rash you described: scaly, bumpy, scab like, could be a fungal infection or bacterial infection on the skin. Since at home treatments will likely not resolve this, it really is necessary to get the skin checked by your vet so they can do some quick skin testing to determine which infection is more likely so that the correct treatment is recommended to resolve Jimi's skin problem. Antibiotics or Anti-fungals will likely be recommended to treat this, which are also not available without a veterinarian prescription.