My senior dog has skin bumps and matted hair. Should I see a vet?

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!

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

Hello. While I cannot diagnose your pet, it does appear that we have a case of bacterial seborrhea here. There may be an undiagnosed underlying cause, such as hypothyroidism or he has developed an allergic response/sensitivity to something, so I would make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can bathe your pet in a medicated antibacterial shampoo if you can find one. One that contains chlorhexidine ( 2-4% ) or benzoyl peroxide should work well. You can bathe your pet 2-3 times a week. I would also start an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as Bayer's Freeform snip tips. Hopefully, this will help to clear things up, but try to see your vet soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Scrappy needs to go to your veterinarian for an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause of this skin condition. It looks like a bacterial infection but he also could have mites, a fungal infection or it could be an autoimmune disease or tumors. If it's a severe bacterial infection with antibiotics and medicated baths this should improve. The longer he has these lesions the more likely the skin can become damaged and his fur may not grow back in. In addition to the skin scraping they may recommend a thyroid level test and perhaps a blood panel to check for other underlying disease. Scrappy will feel better once they get a diagnosis and the proper treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Scrappy.

Hi there! It looks like Marley may have some chronic skin issues, and the growth on his back can definitely be a cyst of some kind. Due to his age, it always good to have senior dogs examined, as their growths could be cancerous. Something like a cyst can be easily removed, and then sent out for biopsy. In the meantime, the growth, since it's bloody and oozing, is almost like an open wound, so he would likely benefit from some medications to apply topically and depending on what the veterinarian says during the exam, maybe some oral medications until the growth stops oozing or can be removed. The darkly pigmented skin on the underside could be from something like chronic skin allergies and scratching, so this is something that I'd have Marley examined for too. I don't think there's a huge rush in getting Marley to the vet, but I'd make sure he has an exam within a few days for the reasons I mentioned above. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

Poor Poppy! Dogs can develop skin conditions at any age. In older dogs things such as endocrine diseases and food allergies are more common. If you notice the lesions are getting worse, then I would recommend to have him seen by his veterinarian. The doctor will take a look at him and get a thorough history and may recommend some blood tests if an underlying cause is suspected. The doctor will also recommend treatment for the lesions. At home, washing the lesions in an antibacterial hand soap and rinsing them well once a day can help to exfoliate and cleanse the skin. You can apply a dab of coconut oil and rub it in well once the skin is dry. You need to make sure however that he does not lick the coconut oil. This may help but if there is an underlying cause, the lesions will simply come back. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

I would guess that these are sebaceous adenomas or benign skin growths that are common in older dogs. There are some other skin tumors that could look similar however and it would be best to have your veterinarian examine Linguine in person to be 100% sure.