My Shih Tzu has chronic red bumps and black skin. How to get relief?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mollie! I wouldn’t do immunosuppressive doses of steroids without a biopsy. I would try a prescription hydrolzed diet like Royal Canin ultimino, put her on Bravecto, nexgard or simparica to cover for demodex and flea allergy dermatitis, omega 3 fish oil, allergy test her and try cytopoint. I think she has allergies. Most dogs with allergic skin disease need to be on multiple medications and special food. If that doesn’t work consider a boarded veterinary dermatologist. Then consider biopsy of the skin. I hope this helps and I wish Mollie the best!

It sounds as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy or fleas. The allergy could be a due to a protein in Molly's food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Molly will need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend she be on a good flea control too. It also sounds like Molly has an ear infection as well. She will need to go to the vet to have an ear cytology performed so they can determine what exact type of infection she has, i.e. is it bacteria, fungal or ear mites causing the issue. Your vet will probably recommend some ear medication and possibly an ear cleaner. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

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.

Poor girl. This looks like classic allergic dermatitis which is likely due to an adverse reaction to something in her environment. She now has an odor due to a secondary bacterial or yeast infection. She will need to see your vet to have the skin tested to determine the kind of infection, then started on medication to clear this up. She will also need allergy medication to help calm down the itchiness and redness. Two viable options for most dogs with skin allergies are either oral Apoqeul or injectable Cytopoint. There is also allergy testing available through your vet, if you are interested in getting allergy shots formulated for Maggie. Here is more information on skin allergies in pets--> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951973 Until you can get Maggie in to be seen by your vet, you can try an over the counter pet formulated spray to help alleviate the itching. A "hot spot" spray or one that contains hydrocortisone would be most suitable for this. I hope that Maggie's skin improves soon! Best of luck and take care. : )

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Moyer! It could be hives or a skin infection. Pit's are prone to allergic reactions and allergies. You can start with a medicated shampoo, bathing 2 times per week leaving the lather on the affected areas for 10 minutes of contact before rinsing. You can also start an antihistamine in case it is hives. If there is no improvement in 1-2 weeks I would have her seen since it has already been a while. She may need oral antibiotics if it is a skin infection or steroids if it is hives. Good luck! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27307

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. I think this is likely a hot spot which is basically an infection from scratching so much. You may use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma from scratching. 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!

It looks like Molly has some type is infection. When she gets to the vet, they will likely put her on antibiotics as well as anti-inflammatories. In the meantime you should cut the hair short around the lesion, taking care not to cut her skin by accident. Wash the area with a plain antibacterial soap and be careful not to get water in her ear while you're rinsing. Likely it is bacterial or fungal in nature and these generally respond well to treatment. Hope Molly is doing better soon!