How to help a stray dog with skin infection, allergy, or fleas?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding the dog. Skin disease is frustrating as many conditions can appear similar. If the dog is very itchy, then I worry about fleas, mites or allergic skin disease causing the issue. If this is not the case, then a hormonal issue such as a thyroid or an adrenal gland disorder can cause the skin to look like your picture. Unfortunately, you will need to see a veterinarian to know for sure. Good luck!

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’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. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/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 he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.


Unfortunately, from the photos and information given, that looks like it needs to be seen and treated by a vet. Flea allergies can cause major reactions, and if you are noticing an odor in addition the area is likely infected and needs to be treated with prescription antibiotics and medicated shampoos in addition to getting the underlying cause (the fleas) under control. While keeping the area clean and dry and using a T-shirt or Elizabethan (cone) collar to stop excessive licking and scratching can help, it ultimately needs professional treatment at this point to get it under control. If you're having trouble affording care, this site can help give you ideas/options so that Bagheera can be seen by your vet: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat Rufus with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get him to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start him on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting him on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It's hard to say based on just a photo of the skin. Some samples (cytology) should be taken of the skin cells through your vet first. Based on what is found, we can then select the appropriate treatment for this. Whether that is an antibiotic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, or even steroid is totally dependent on the results of that skin test. In the meantime you can try giving Jack pet formulated fish oils from your local pet store to help combat any inflammation of the skin. Also a good high quality dog food (i.e. Royal Canin, hills science diet, Innova, etc) is best to promote a healthy skin and haircoat. The Duoxo shampoo's are also a good topical treatment for dry skin in dogs. Best of luck with your pet Jack and his dry skin.