My senior Puggle has severe itching and sore spots. What can I do?

Poor Scrappy Brown! It's definitely a constant battle when dealing with an allergy in a dog. Unfortunately there is no cure for these allergies and they require constant management. It would be worth talking with your veterinarian about a new medication called Cytopoint. Cytopoint is an injection that has very good success in treating skin allergies in dogs. This injection lasts for about 4 weeks and could be likely be used for long term treatment of Scrappy's allergies. Medicated bathing would be another option to treat Scrappy. This bathing is done two to three times weekly to help manage skin infections and yeast overgrowths. It would also be worth calling your veterinarian to see if they can prescribe a medicated shampoo like Douxo for Scrappy's skin. You can also consider a specialized diet for Scrappy as food allergies often cause skin itching. A prescription diet like Royal Canin Ultamino may be a good option for him. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope the above options work to make Scrappy more comfortable!

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 his 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!

You can give him a bath in a medicated shampoo that can help. If there are sores then you can apply neosporin to them. The odor may be from a secodnary yeast infection. At her age I would have yiurbvrt check her thyroid ton make sure it is not low as it can predispose them to more skin infections. From there they can prescribe medicine to treat her

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mr. Wrinkles. I would start by bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. Hylyt is a good option. You can do this twice per week. However, if this does not control the itching, she will need to see her veterinarian. She may require antibiotics if the skin has become infected from the scratching and medication to co trol the itching. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry Snowball is having such a problem with itching! The answer to your question depends on what is causing his itching. Itching can be caused by fleas, allergies, mites, or ringworm to name a few, and each requires a different medication to treat. I would speak to his vet to ask about other medications you can give him, as the vet will know the cause of it and the best way to treat it. Best of luck.

While the baths do help, I am afraid that is a skin infection at this point, likely yeast and bacterial. Generally you will need to see a vet for a sample for the correct medication. They may also discuss blood work to check the thyroid and check for Cushings disease as these can predispose them to the skin infections. It is best to give another bath and apply cortisone cream to the bad spots until you can get her seen by a vet

Hello! A picture of the lesion would help us give more helpful input. However, if Shiloh's skin is flaky and itchy, it could be a number of things, including superficial pyoderma, demodicosis, sarcoptes, yeast dermatitis, and ringworm. It is difficult to narrow down the causes without doing an exam on her or at least seeing the lesions, but it is very likely some sort of infection (whether bacterial, yeast, or parasitic) so I do recommend bringing Shiloh to the vet. Your vet will be able to determine the cause, and Shiloh will likely need prescription medication (antibiotics, antifungals, or anti-parasite, along with possible medicated shampoo) to clear the issue. Depending on the severity of the issue on her skin, it very likely might not improve without prescription meds, so it is worth having her seen as soon as possible. Additionally, depending on her age, she may have some underlying condition that might be making her skin susceptible to infection, such as allergies or hypothyroidism. I hope this helps.