My dog has a bump on his paw and is shedding a lot. Is this normal?

I'm sorry Cooper is having trouble with itching! I'm not sure how long ago you placed the flea medication on him, but if he wasn't up to date on it before, it still could be a problem with the fleas causing his symptoms. Should he have had a heavy burden of fleas, he could have developed a flea allergy causing this shedding and itching. In addition, when a dog has fleas, the environment needs to be disinfected as well to get rid of all the fleas. Allergies can develop suddenly in dogs, and while a food allergy may be possible, it's not a very common type of allergy in dogs. The majority of dogs with allergies have an environmental allergy, so that could also be a possible cause of his shedding and itching. I recommend taking Cooper into a vet today for an exam. The vet can diagnose what is causing his symptoms, and can treat him for it. Good luck!

With his age I would be concerned about puppy pyoderma (bacterial skin infection common in young dogs) but a type of mange and secondary bacterial infection is also possible. If this is mange then his skin won't clear without treating both diseases. There is also a possibility of ringworm. Your veterinarian could do an exam and go over in detail the tests for those diseases and treatment options. Alternatively some try an OTC pet medicated shampoo but if the skin doesn't clear up then a visit to the veterinarian is needed.

This could be an abscess, a deep cyst, or even a tumor. I'd recommend you monitor it for an increase in size, change, redness or discharge. If you notice those signs or it does not go away within the next 12 to 24 hours I recommend your dog be examined by their veterinarian. I would not give any human pain medication as it can be very toxic to dogs.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Most dogs and cats are shedding this time of year.To know if it is appropriate is based on breed: does this breed shed? And if there are spots of missing fur or an uneven hair coat. If the coat still looks good and there are not patches of missing fur and Coby isn't scratching, it is likely normal. I wish you the best!

I would recommend that you have Cooper examined by a vet. Areas of hair loss like this can be caused by demodex mites. Other possible causes include bacterial or fungal infection or other parasites. The vet will likely do a skin scraping to look for the mites under a microscope. Then they can get Cooper started on an appropriate treatment plan.

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Lucky. It is possible this is a small pustule/bacterial infection maybe due to a wound (stepping on something sharp) but it could also be a small mass/growth (it is hard to say without seeing it in person). You can try applying warm compresses a few times a day to bring it to a head and putting a topical antibiotic ointment on the area 2-3 times a day. If the area is not resolving within a week or if it is getting larger/painful then an exam is recommended.