What are these red splotches on my dog's skin and why is she licking?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. It could be that Harley Moon has an allergic reaction to something outside, could have ringworm, or it could be puppy pyoderma (a skin infection). It's a very good idea to have this seen by a vet this week, and for now, keep an eye on her. If it appears to be itching her, you can can give her an oatmeal bath to see if that helps soothe her skin. I'd also put an Ecollar on her if she starts licking at it. You can make one at home or you can buy one at a pet store. I hope this helps!

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 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!

The pictures aren't very good quality and I can't really make out any discoloration. Here is some general advice for splotchy skin. Splotchy skin or red patches can be due to several things including allergies, a reaction to the shampoo, parasites or just a one time 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. Protect the areas from licking or scratching. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have her examined by her veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Those spots on Riley 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 his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching and he may need to wear and Elizabethan collar at all times. Since he is still licking the lesions, it's hard to know if the changes to the lesions are a sign of recovery or a worsening. You MUST stop the licking. If the lesions don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined again by the veterinarian who may prescribe additional medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the photos, the discoloration looks like it is caused by salivary enzymes from chronic licking. This can be due to an underlying skin infection or environmental/food allergies. Your vet can rule out these conditions with some skin samples and possibly a food trial. I hope this helps!

This appears to be urticaria, which simply means that they are round, red, not raised lesions due to some sort of reaction. This often happens with insect bites and stings, but could be caused by other environmental factors. It's good that they are not bothering Ellie and are not something that needs to be seen by a vet right away. It's best to just monitor her for the next week and see if these lesions get bigger, or multiply. They will likely fade and disappear after a week, but if they seem to be getting worse, then it's best to schedule a time to visit the nearest vet, because these can be due to an infection, or autoimmune disease in rare cases. I hope that helps and all is well with Ellie.

I'd be worried in that Harley keeps licking it, which shows it's bothering him. From your picture, it looks like he has licked that area raw in a spot, so I would definitely have this checked out by the vet. Give the vet a call today or tomorrow to make an appointment for him. Until you can have him seen, put an Ecollar on him to keep him from licking at it. You can get one at a pet store, or I can put a link below on how to make one at home. Best of luck, I hope this helps. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html