Puppy neck rash: What's causing it and how to treat at home?

Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Pets' can get rashes for many reasons. Some times you can care for it at home and sometimes they need to go to the veterinarian. For Boba you can try home care first. The first thing to try to figure out is how to protect the area from further scratching. It's a tricky because this portion of his neck won't be covered with the normal elizabethan collar. You would try a loosely fitting dough-nut style collar. Or the end of a tube sock cut to loosely fit around the area. A doggie turtle neck would work but it might be too hot where you live for that. Try to figure something out that covers it but not a choking/strangulation hazard. Next, wash the area once a day with either plain hand soap (like Dial) or a medicated pet shampoo. This will help to control the number of topical pathogens as well as remove oil and dead skin cells. Rinse the area well and gently towel dry. Lastly, apply a topical antibiotic twice a day. Just a dab will do and rub it in well. Make sure the skin is dry before application. Neosporin is fine to use. Keep him indoors, clean and dry. You can get hydrocortizone cream for pets and apply that once a day, try to apply with at least 2 hours after and before the neosporin. You can also give him benedrl every 8-12 hours. If the spot is not much better in 1 week, if it gets worse at any point or if the lesion is not completely healed within 2 weeks, Boba needs to be examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out any time.

It looks like Pokki has a superficial infection on the skin of her neck. If she frequently wears a collar, this area can be prone to infection if the collar is not kept clean and dry. Rarely, pets can be allergic to the nylon material but this is very uncommon. It's generally more related to the collar being dirty/oily or getting wet. Sometimes parasites can also cause this type of rash as well. At home you can try washing the area with an antibacterial hand soap and rinse well. You can then apply a dab of coconut oil to the reddened bumps. Rub it in well. If this does not help within a week, make an appointment with your vet. That being said, if you wish to go ahead and have her seen, the doctor will provide medications that will clear it up faster. I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend taking Jordan to a veterinarian to determine the cause of his rash. It may be allergies or he could have a yeast or bacterial infection. All of these conditions would require different medications to treat. Until you get him into the vet I recommend using an antiseptic medication shampoo for dogs (antimicrobial/antifungal) and keep the area clean and dry. Moisture can often worsen skin conditions, so be sure to dry off under his neck after drinking or going outside if there is an moisture on him. I hope Jordan is better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jax. I would start by bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. This will help to cleanse and soothe the skin. If this does not resolve the issue, then he will need to see his veterinarian as antibiotics will likely be needed. You can also discuss why this may have happened based on his exams findings. This will help the rash from recurring in the future. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria -hot spot-). A check up, appropriate disinfection and eventually antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid scratching. 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.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Macy. Not sure how long the Seresto flea collar has been on but it could be some local irritation from the collar. Other possibilities include a bacterial skin infection, trauma from scratching, fungal infection, mites, an internal organ problem, among many other things. If the condition worsens, persists, spreads, or is really itchy I would advise letting your vet take a look at Macy. They can get a detailed history, do a thorough exam, and then advise some tests if needed. Skin tests include skin scrape, woods lamp exam, fungal culture, skin cytology, etc. If they felt like this problem was due to an internal organ problem, they may advise some tests which could include fecal/blood/urine tests and maybe even some x-rays. Your vet can decide whether the Seresto collar is involved or not. If it is, I would report this to Bayer Animal Health or have your vet report it. Good luck with Macy.