Why does my Shih Tzu smell and bite himself if he has no fleas?

I can see the redness and crusting in Rocky's underarm areas. You are correct in saying that this may be due to an infection. Both yeast and bacteria can cause these signs, as well as food sensitivities, which make dogs itchy. The constant scratching breaks the skin barrier and can allow for infections to occur. I recommend having him seen by a vet who can prescribe oral antibiotics/medicated shampoos as well as a special diet if needed. In the meantime, there are skin wipes for dogs available in pet stores that you can use to keep the area clean.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Cutie regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Max. The place he is chewing is very suspicious for a flea allergy. The brown staining of the hair coat is evidence that he is licking this spot. Proteins in the saliva will stain light color coated dogs. This could be something else, but this looks like classic Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). FAD is an allergic reaction to flea bites that cause an inflammation/infection of the skin known as dermatitis. So looks like Max has become allergic to flea saliva and every time he gets bitten by a flea, the allergic cycle is activated. One flea bite a month is enough to keep this cycle going in highly allergic dogs unless something is done to intervene. I would advise a trip to your veterinarian. Give them a detailed history and let them perform a thorough physical exam. Once that is done, they will be able to formulate a treatment plan which could include effective flea/tick control, clip/clean of the area if needed, oral antibiotics, anti-itch medicines (antihistamines/steroids/other), topical medicines, and an E collar for starters. If other things are suspected, your vet may advise some diagnostic tests such as skin scrapes, fungal cultures, blood tests, etc. Effective and consistent flea control is definitely at the core of treating this problem if it's FAD. Good luck with Max.

I agree that allergies are one of the most likely causes for your dog's scratching - this is a very common problem for many dogs in the summer. But there are other possible causes also that should be ruled out first - itching can also be caused by skin mites (mange), or bacterial or fungal infections. If the itching is allergy related, you can try bathing in a dog shampoo with either cortisone or aloe and oatmeal to help soothe the itching. But most allergy problems in dogs require prescription medications to treat successfully, so I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet if bathing her isn't helpful.

There are various causes for the bad smell and they will need to be investigated by a veterinarian. 1) your dog (I am assuming it is a dog, you do not say anywhere what type of animal he is) may have a particularly stinky type of bacteria in his anal sacs. This could be remedied by emptying them and flushing them with an antibitic that kills off all bacteria and then hopefully a new type of bacteria will take up residence. 2) Your dog may have particularly smelly bacteria in his skin that emit a bad smell. Certain antibacterial shampoos can alleviate that 3) your dog may have a mite infection. Sarcoptes mite infections have a typical sweet smell. Sarcoptes mites can be killed with avermectins or a Bravecto chew. 4) He could have a fungal infection (treatable with fungicidal shampoo and/or tablets) 5) If you have other dogs in your house he may have a particular pack smell. 6) He may have a skin condition such as seborrhea which invites certain bacteria who can cause a bad smell. I suggest yu make an appointment with your vet who should then examine your dog and check for the various causes and treat accordingly. Don't forget to do flea control.

It sounds like she has a lot of seborrhea which is oil. This could be due to an infection like yeast or bacteria on her skin but it could also be due to allergies. I like dechra's dermabenss shampoo. It really cuts the oil and has a pleasant smell. Be sure to leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. I would bathe her at least twice a week. If there are any crusts, ulcerations, black "elephant" skin then she will likely need to see your vet in order to be completely resolved as there is likely an infection involved as well. I would also start her a Benadryl regimen twice a day. See link below. I hope this helps. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#!

If you are observing skin lesions and an odor he may have both a bacterial and yeast infection. While some cases can be treated topically and with medicated shampoos, more severe cases often requires oral antibiotic and antifungal therapy. As a first line therapy, start with a medicated shampoo that can be used for both yeast and bacterial infections such as Malaseb or Virbac or products recommended by your veterinarian. Additionally, it is important to make sure he is on a monthly flea prevention as many pets are sensitive to fleas. If this is secondary to allergies or what we refer to as atopy, he may require additional therapy including an allergy vaccine.