My dog has a rash. Can dogs get hand foot and mouth disease?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about your puppy. It's likely puppy pyoderma, which is a skin infection. Puppies have very sensitive skin, and can be prone to infections. I'd have her seen by a vet in the morning to have this treated. Best of luck.

This is called puppy pyoderma. It’s a mild skin infection that puppies often get. You can bathe the area with anti bacterial shampoo every few days and that should clear it up. If it is getting worse or the puppies seem sick then bring them in for a exam and treatment. They may need oral antibiotics. Also make sure the bedding is soft and dry. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your puppies.

She could be having an acute allergic reaction to something such as grass or some type of chemical on the ground. You can try washing her off using a mild cleanser such is Dawn dish soap or oatmeal-based pet shampoo. If it doesn't clear up within 8 to 12 hours then I would recommend having your veterinarian do an exam. In the meantime if you start scratching or itching at it you'll need to stop her as that could cause a secondary bacterial infection.

That spot on Buddy could be several things including allergies, skin mites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. 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. You can wash the lesion with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just the spot). Protect the area from licking or scratching. If it doesn't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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 his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 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!


Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I suspect this could be secondary to demodex, which is a type of skin mite. There is likely also a bacterial skin infection that needs to be treated due to the potential primary mite infection. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thank you for providing pictures of Achilles's belly! Yes, I would take him into the vet. It certainly isn't normal to have a rash on the belly, and it could be caused by a contact allergy, ringworm, or a skin infection. The vet can diagnose what is causing the rash so it can be treated. I would take him into the vet in the morning.