My senior dog has spreading skin crusts. Could it be maggots?

Hi. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Shadow really needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. If there are maggots then there is a significant wound/lesion that needs attention. He may need to have it surgically debrided and likely needs pain medication and antibiotics. Some flea control products such as Capstar can help to kill maggots but the wound still needs to be thoroughly flushed and cleaned. In the case of maggots around the back end sometimes they can be in the rectum which can lead to sepsis or severe complications. Please get Shadow to a veterinarian today. He will also need to be kept indoors until the wound is completely healed or this may happen again.

If she is having a rapidly spreading skin condition, Lucy should be seen by a veterinarian to have the skin checked. At the vet, they will be able to do scrapings, cultures, and biopsies. Most importantly, they will be able to prescribe medications to help relieve the pain and itchiness that Lucy is currently experiencing. She also likely will require an e-collar to prevent her in the short-term from itching herself raw. As for what it might be, it sounds like there could be an infection of the skin that started somewhere and is spreading rearward. There are autoimmune conditions and allergies that can affect the skin in the ways that you are describing, but that latter do not typically cause the scaliness you are talking about. Unfortunately, with a 14 year old dog, we also need to consider more serious conditions as well such as certain skin cancers. Your vet should definitely take a look at what is going on you guys can come up with a plan together.

If the rash and skin problems is spreading and getting worse, then it is worth see a vet. She may need a skin biopsy or sample to find out the cause. Skin tags are common in older dogs but rash that is changing is not. They may need to do blood work to see if there is an endocrine problem such as a low thyroid or cushings disease.

Poor Sasha! it sounds like she needs to be examined by the veterinarian. These symptoms could describe an infection in her skin. Sometimes the infection is the primary problem but other times it's related to allergies or endocrine disease. Occasionally, these symptoms can describe a disease of the oil glands as well. She will likely need oral medications and possibly some topical wipes. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the photis, this appears to have a raised area in the center. This could be a sebaceous cyst that ruptured and is now secondarily infected or has an open wound on it that won't heal. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this and have some additional testing performed on it to determine what it could be. With more information on what this could be, the most appropriate treatment can then be started. If you are unable to get to your vet right now, I would recommend using an ointment called zymox topical ointment to apply to the area. If the ointment does not help aftwr 5-7 days or it worsens during that time, I would get kane to the vet for an exam. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be happening secondary to a severe infection. This requires therapy as soon as possible for the maggots and the likely underlying infection. This is not something you can get over the counter and this requires a visit to a veterinarian for further assessment and local and systemic therapy. Have a great day!

That is concerning. If the spots are oozing or smelly I would be concerned there is an underlying infection going on which is causing that. Since this is different than the contact dermatitis, or a worsening of it, I would have your vet take another look. They may recommend taking a sample for testing at a lab to see what the cause is (yeast, bacteria, fungus, etc) so that a tailored treatment can be given. Your vet may also prescribe antibiotics if the area is infected. Until you can get to the vet, keeping the affected areas clean and dry and using an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Boomer can help keep him from licking which can help with further irritation.