My senior dog has black scabs on his skin. Is it a skin condition?

These areas do look like a type of skin infection. If Lily is having recurrent ones or they never seem to completely resolve, I think it is time to look for an underlying problem that could be contributing. In an older dog, the best place to start is actually with a blood panel. This panel should include a thyroid hormone level check . Hypothyroidism or under active thyroid is a very common cause for chronic skin problems. This blood panel can also screen for Cushing's Disease which is an adrenal gland disorder that can also cause chronic skin problems. If the bloodwork is all normal, ask your veterinarian about doing a skin biopsy. This cDNA be done with light sedation and will give the best information.

Although a picture of the lesions would help to determine the underlying cause, this is probably due to an allergy, but it could also be due to an infection or mites. Old age itself is unlikely to cause anything like you described. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, 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). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

While it's possible for food sensitivities to change over time and cause skin issues, since Mariner is a senior pup it may be time for a senior wellness exam. Scabbing on the skin could be due to a number of things including the aforementioned food allergies, environmental allergens, skin infections, parasites and even metabolic changes. A complete examination of his coat plus some general bloodwork may alert you to the cause of his scabbing. In the meantime, an Elizabethan (cone) collar, if it doesn't interfere with his service work, or a T-shirt to protect the affected area, may help prevent him from scratching or chewing and give the area some time to heal. It will also keep Mariner from introducing more bacteria into the site which can lead to an infection.

It is hard to tell without seeing it in person, but pimple like bumps often indicate an infection like a pyoderma. Sometimes medicated shampoo can be enough to get rid of the bumps, but other times they need oral antibiotics. I would recommend making sure he is on a good flea prevention and speaking with your vet about the possibility of a skin infection. I hope this helps!

This looks like a papilloma wart that got irritated (ie: she scratched it or something). I would not be overly concerned about it. You are welcome to put some Neosporin on it to help it heal. These "warts" are very common in small breed dogs. As always, you know your dog best, if you are worried then you should have her examined by your vet.

The skin does look a bit irritated. If the scabs aren't healing, more appear, the area is very itchy or bothersome to Teddy, or it changes more in appearance, a vet visit is best to rule out issues such as infections, growths, allergies, etc. Keeping it clean and dry and keeping Teddy from pawing/licking at it can also help reduce irritation as it heals.

I would recommend that Chance have these wounds checked out by a veterinarian. They could be caused by hotspots, allergies, bacterial skin infections, fleas, mites, among a few others. Since they are spread out over the body, Chance would probably benefit from oral prescription antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, in addition to treating the originating cause.