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Why is my senior dog scratching raw with itchy back bumps?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

Hello I have a fairly older dog ( 11 yrs?) And we always had dry back itchy problems. Our decesesd jack Russell suffered from it majorly and it seems she's picking up the same symptoms. She would scratch her back raw and most meditated, or itch relief sprays do no good. I groomed her today and noticed under her fur her skin is full of round bumps were she scratches the most. Are these scabs or are they growths?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on November 23rd, 2021

I'm sorry to hear that Trixie is also so itchy with these skin issues. Odds are good that she's likely experiencing underlying allergies to fleas, food, or something in her environment. When dogs itch excessively, they damage the outer layer of the skin and can cause skin infections to occur. That said, it's also possible that the underlying culprit of Trixie's issue could be associated with ringworm, mange, or some autoimmune issues. The lesions pictured don't look like growths to me. At this point, Trixie really needs to visit her vet for a full exam to try to get to the underlying cause so that an appropriate course of treatment can be started. Odds are good that she'll need oral antibiotics, anti-itch medications, and good quality flea prevention - potentially in addition to other medications. I hope that everything goes well!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on September 22nd, 2018
Unfortunately without seeing Poppy in person, I can't definitively diagnose that growth. It could be a benign growth, or it could be malignant. In an older dog, a malignant growth is always a possibility. If she has lots of other bumps, it could be she has an allergic reaction or a skin infection. The only way to know for sure is to have her seen by a vet. I'd take her into one this week for diagnosis and treatment. Best of luck, I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH
Veterinarian
Published on September 13th, 2017
Hi and thank you for your post.

There can be lost of causes for the crusty bumps and itchiness. If the veterinarians did not do a skin scraping, then this is what I would recommend be done. A skin scrape and impression smear of the area can diagnosis a bacterial infection, mite infection, or yeast infection. I would also recommend a fungal culture to rule out a fungal infection. I would also want to rule out a flea allergy if Betty is not on any flea preventative.

Ruling everything else out above, it may be a food allergy or another environmental allergy such as pollen or grass, etc.

An allergy test can help then determine what she is allergic to and therefore what she needs to avoid.

There are certain medications out there to help with allergies in dogs. Antihistamines can help sometimes but there is also Atopica, Apoquel, and Cytopoint that work very well in controlling allergy symptoms in dogs.

I hope this helps! Best of luck to you and Betty!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on June 25th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed.

There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies.

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market).

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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