Why does my puppy have itchy skin bumps and scabs after going outside?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m so sorry to hear about Titan. He definitely should see his vet with itching that severe. A mite or severe allergy are first on my list. Allergies commonly appear at age 2-4 but can develope at any time. If that is the case, they are usually environmental but if you’ve switched food or added a new treat in the last few weeks, that could be a cause too. Finally, new shampoo, change in laundry soap, etc can also cause this to flare up. Treatment varies depending on cause but may include medicated shampoo, or oral medications, and addressing underlying allergies of needed. It is also possible that this is due to mites, ringworm, or an auto-immune problem. Bottom line is, all of these things require a vet visit and prescription medications to treat so head on in as soon as you can. Best of luck to you and Titan!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Titian! The dark thickening of the skin indicates chronic skin disease. It can be from a bacterial or yeast skin infection, demodex (non-contagious skin mite), scabies (infectious skin mite) or even ring worm. I would highly recommend having Titan seen by your Vet next week for an exam. They can do a quick cytology of the surface of the skin to check for bacteria and or yeast and also do a skin scraping to look for mites. Regardless of the cause Titan is obviously uncomfortable. I wish Titan the best!

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). 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.

That is an understandable concern. It appears he has a very bad case of folliculitis, which can be caused by several things including a Demodexx mite infestation, a contact allergy, environmental allergy or flea allergy. He needs to first go on a good flea preventative (Nexgard, Bravecto, etc) and then have a skin scrape/cytology done to look for possible mites. He definitely needs a short course of antibiotics to treat for his current skin infection and then medication depending on the results of his skin scrape/cytology. The vet should be able to get him on the right track if the skin testing is done. I hope this helps and best wishes with Trump moving forward. I hope his skin problems resolve very soon.

With the description you provided it sounds like Zeus may have a skin infection. A skin infection can be caused by a few different things. Zeus may have allergies. I would recommend bringing him to your veterinarian to have them evaluate Zeus. He most likely will need antibiotics and potentially a shampoo. If your veterinarian suspects allergies they can discuss different medication options for him. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Luna with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get her to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).