My dog has dry red skin behind ear and bumps on chin. What to do?

This does not sound like a normal thing to happen in dogs, and I recommend that Binky see a vet for her skin issue. Your vet may do a skin scrape to look for mites, skin cytology to look for bacteria or yeast under a microscope, or bacterial or fungal cultures may be needed. Possible causes for bumps include fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. I would recommend that Binky be on year-round flea prevention. While you await for your appointment, you can try a medicated shampoo like Dechra MalAcetic Ultra Shampoo, but be careful not to get it into her eyes. Also, think of any changes that have happened in the last few weeks, like changes in food, treats, medications, supplements, or household cleaners that could have had an effect on her skin.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Charlie is adorable! I can see the bumps on his chin - these may be caused by a skin infection, which can be very uncomfortable and itchy. I recommend having Charlie seen by a vet as soon as possible as Charlie may need antibiotics. In the meantime, you should try to keep the area clean and consider getting Charlie an E-collar or "cone" to keep him from scratching the area.

Monte's red bumpy shin could be due to a bacterial infection similar to acne, parasites in the pores of the chin or an allergic reaction. Treatment is dependent on the cause and your veterinarian will likely get an idea of the exact cause after a physical exam. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. This will helps with allergies and acne. Pets with acne also do best if the food/water dishes and toys are washed on a weekly basis. Also change the dishes to ceramic or stainless steel. Allergic reactions may require additional systemic medications or a diet change where as acne often responds to a medicated wipe. Parasites respond to an antiparasitic medication. Also protect the area from trauma by having Monte wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Red. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He could have an ear infection causing the red bumps. This is typically accompanied by shaking of the head, scratching the ears and discharge coming from the ears. If this is not the case, an allergic reaction could be to blame. His veterinarian will examine him and determine the best course of treatment for him. I hope this information helps!

Chronic skin problems could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Simba wear an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent licking if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Although a picture of it would help to determine the underlying cause more specifically, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching. 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.

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 (advocate or advantage), 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). 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.