My dog has a rash and hair loss. Is it his Rachael Ray food?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your questions. If Rosie and your other dog have never had skin irritation prior to the change in diet, it certainly could be related to the diet switch. If the irritation does not clear up on its own after 2-3 days, I would recommend switching back to the original diet when there were no symptoms evident. If the rash continues or worsens, then I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Rosie and your other dog so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Those spots on Bella could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, 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 her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. The best option is to have Bella examined since the rash is bothering her. This will figure out the cause the fastest and bring her relief sooner. If you cannot get to the veterinarian's office, you can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash her whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching with an elizabethan collar. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have her examined by his veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Bristol has some redness and crusting on her abdomen. While this can be caused by food allergy, the redness and crusting is an indication of a skin infection. You can bathe Bristol with an antibacterial shampoo formulated for dogs, which can be found in pet stores to begin getting the itching and infection under control. I also recommend getting her an E-collar or "cone" to prevent her from licking/chewing the area and making it worse. If you think that certain foods may cause the signs to get worse, I recommend feeding Bristol only her dog food, with no human food or treats for the next few days. I hope this helps and that all is well with Bristol!

I don't know if it will cause Sadie to break out into a rash. Environmental allergies are more common than food allergies, so you'd have to have her seen by a vet if she does break out in a rash to determine the cause.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend starting by bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. This can help with a minor rash or irritation. You can also leave the harness off for the next few days to see if that has been contributing. If the rash spreads, is very itchy or develops pimples, then he should see his veterinarian. In this case, he could require treatment. Unfortunately, there are numerous causes of red skin. For example, allergies to something in the environment, his diet or something in the house can cause it. Infectious organisms like fleas are common in certain parts of the country. If necessary, the veterinarian will examine him, ask detailed questions about his lifestyle and history and prescribe medication as needed. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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!

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 her 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 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!