Senior Maltese has fleas and spreading skin sores. Is it serious?

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.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the pictures and your description, I suspect Mazie may have a bacterial skin infection. I would recommend having this looked at by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. She may need to be placed on an oral antibiotic and topical medications to treat this. I hope this helps and that Mazie's skin improves! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Unfortunately, from the photos and information given, that looks like it needs to be seen and treated by a vet. Flea allergies can cause major reactions, and if you are noticing an odor in addition the area is likely infected and needs to be treated with prescription antibiotics and medicated shampoos in addition to getting the underlying cause (the fleas) under control. While keeping the area clean and dry and using a T-shirt or Elizabethan (cone) collar to stop excessive licking and scratching can help, it ultimately needs professional treatment at this point to get it under control. If you're having trouble affording care, this site can help give you ideas/options so that Bagheera can be seen by your vet: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From the pictures that you provided my primary suspicions would be a skin infection. There are some things that you can do at home if you are unable to get to a vet right away. I would suggest starting with a shampoo that is medicated such as Duoxo chlorhexidine PS combination and bathe him twice weekly until the infection is resolved. I would also suggest starting welactin omega-3 fish oil and essential 6 Spot On by dermoscent. If there is no improvement then I would see your vet for further testing and treatments. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text base consultation if needed

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Princess. Fleas will leave little black flecks on the skin known as flea dirt. So if you are seeing this, there is a chance fleas are still present. The scabs typically result from the dog scratching. I would bathe her with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to help to soothe the skin. Then be sure to use her flea and tick prevention as directed. You need to treat all pets in the home and vacuum daily to try to rid the environment of further fleas. I hope this information helps!

Oh dear, poor Peanut! Some dogs are allergic to fleas and can actually develop bacterial skin infections as a result of ongoing scratching and licking. The first two photos look most suspicious for signs of a skin infection, but the third photo looks more suspicious for a raised benign or malignant mass. I'm glad that you're planning on taking Peanut to his vet when it is financially feasible for you. In the meantime, make sure that all pets in your house have been treated with a high quality flea preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II (or Advantage, Revolution, or Bravecto for cats if you also have cats in the house). You can also give your dogs a dose of oral Capstar ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=10902 ) to rapidly kill adult fleas in addition to the flea preventatives mentioned previously. Be sure to use these flea preventatives regularly without missing doses to break the flea life cycle! For Peanut's irritated skin, you can try bathing him in a medicated antimicrobial/anti-itch shampoo ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27981 ). Hydrogen peroxide can actually delay skin healing, so I would avoid further use since it is likely to cause more irritation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Using Dawn soap or a flea soap will not prevent fleas from occurring, and if Bruce isn't on a monthly prevention, this rash is likely cause by fleas. The dirt you are seeing could be flea dirt, which is essentially flea poop. I would put Bruce on a month flea prevention program. 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.