Why is my stray dog severely itching and biting his fur raw?

Poor Frank! This itching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam Monday. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Jack. Allergies can be very frustrating but with the right diagnosis and treatment, can be effectively managed. You have described what could very well be seasonal allergies called Atopy in dogs since you talk about a seasonal pattern. We are in a peak time for late summer allergies in humans and dogs who are allergic to weed pollens which are high at this time of year. Of course other inhaled allergies could be present and cross reactivity exists between some allergens. Each year or allergy season can be worse than the last if the pet becomes allergic to more things. Dogs can also be allergic to flea bites called Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) and a smaller group of allergic dogs can have food allergies. What you are describing sounds like an inflammation/infection of the skin due to self trauma caused by Jack licking, scratching, chewing, etc those areas. Once the skin barrier is broken the surface bacteria can multiply and gain access to the deeper skin areas causing problems like you discuss. I would advise taking Jack to your vet and let them take a thorough history, do a complete physical, and then advise some diagnostics and/or treatment to address what is going on. Some skin diagnostics include skin scrape, Wood's lamp exam, fungal culture, etc. These would be performed to rule out a problem with mites or fungal organisms. Treatment for allergies includes antibiotics, antihistamines, sometimes steroids for itching, immune modulating drugs (Apoquel), using a good flea/tick product advised by your vet, fish oil, topical treatments, etc. If you wanted to pursue allergy testing, your vet can advise you on that. There are skin tests and blood tests for that and sometimes that involves going to a veterinary dermatologist for some of those services. The goal would be to identify the allergies and then start a hyposensitization program to decrease the body's immune response to the allergy, very similar to allergy shots. They even make allergy drops or sprays that are oral now. Good luck with Jack. I hope he gets a lot more comfortable very soon.

Oh poor guy. It's very difficult to guess what could be wrong from a picture alone. He'd need a skin scrap to look for bacteria, yeast, and parasites to know if any of those are present. I would be concerned about fleas and a flea allergy, and if you could apply a flea treatment to him that could certainly help. I'm not sure what's available where you are, but Revolution and Frontline Plus are two popular options in the US (along with many oral medications which are better but prescription only such as nexgrad and bravecto). Beyond that, I'm not sure what you can do without some testing.

Poor Remington! It looks like Remington has a bit of a skin infection. The patch on his face appears to be superficial moist dermatitis (commonly called a "hot spot"). These skin infections are generally secondary to the dog scratching from something else. I would make sure you used a high product flea prevention (many over-the-counter options don't work very well). I prefer the oral options such as Bravecto and Nexgard, but there are many reputable topical products such as Advantix, Frontline, or Revolution as well. The scratching could also be due to allergies or (with the sore on his face) an ear infection, so I recommend having Remington seen by a vet to help determine what is causing the scratching in the first place, and to get him started on the appropriate treatment. He will likely need a course of antibiotics to clear up his skin. In the meantime, keep all of those areas clean and dry. You may gently clean them with warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well), then pat them thoroughly dry with a clean towel. Hope this helps.

Hello, sorry to hear about Jack. It sounds like he is having allergies. Allergies in dogs can be associated with the environment, food, or even fleas (flea allergy dermatitis). Make sure that Jack and any other pets are getting their monthly flea control. If he continues to itch, then he may need allergy medications which can be prescribed by your veterinarian. Have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon if his signs persists. You can also try to wipe his feet and body down 2-3 times daily especially after coming indoors with skin sensitive baby wipes. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Poor Mack! There are four main reasons for persistent itching and they are fleas, environmental allergy, hypothyroidism or food allerg. Each one is diagnosed differently and the veterinarian may have an idea of which one to start with based upon clinical signs and at what age it all began. I recommend to discuss getting to the bottom of Mack’s itching with your veterinarian. Starting Mac on an omega-3 fatty acid for dogs will help improve the overall skin health. Diet such as Royal Canin or Nutro is also good for skin and you may consider changing to one of these brands. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm sorry to hear that Jax is so uncomfortable! The redness and inflammation on his foot is pretty significant. This type of skin issue is most commonly caused by underlying allergies to fleas, food or the environment. When dogs itch and bite a lot, they damage the protective outer layers of the skin, often resulting in the onset of bacterial and/or yeast skin infections. It's possible that he may need some anti-itch medications, antibiotics or anti-fungal medications. I understand that Jax is not the most cooperative at the vet, but this is something that warrants veterinary attention. I'd recommend calling your vet to ask if they can prescribe a sedative before the appointment or consider working with a house call vet in your area. I hope that everything goes well!