What causes redness around my dog's eyes, mouth, and testicles?

It could be allergies, and although allergies occur more frequently when dogs are a little older, some younger dogs can be affected too. Since the lesions are itchy parasites (such as demodex, etc.) and infection ( bacterial, fungal) need to ruled out as well. Since your guy is uncomfortable the best plan is to see you vet to test for the above so that the correct treatment is prescribed. If the lesions resolve and recur work up for allergy will likely be recommended. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to an allergic reaction or it could even be an actual on going allergy to something like fleas, food or an allergen in the environment. Allergic reactions are usually treated with anti-histamine medications such as Benadryl and steroids. Cameron should be evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They could start therapy for this to see if it improves. In most cases it does improve and resolve and if no further exposures to the antigen occur, then this would not recur. Hopefully he does great! He is adorable! Good luck!

Poor guy. It sounds like Bruce has skin allergies. Allergic dermatitis can be caused by something in his food or the environment, or both. THe top food allergens are chicken, beef, turkey and lamb, so these protein sources should be avoided. Its best to go with novel proteins such as rabbit, duck, kangaroo, etc. Here is a website link that talks about skin allergies more in detail. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951973 I would then consider starting a food trial with him with prescription foods from your vet. However, since a food trial can take 2-3 months to show improvement its best to take him to your vet to start allergy medication (i.e. Apoquel, Cytopoint) to help calm his skin down immediately while we try to implement long term management treatments. My top hypoallergenic foods are Royal Canin Rabbit and Potato, Royal Canin ultamino and Hll's Z/D ultra. Best of luck with Bruce and his itchy skin and eyes! Take care.

Most likely he has allergic reaction causing a lot of skin irritation. The other causes include skin infection and skin parasites, which are also common in dogs. The most effective treatment for excessive itchiness due to allergy are steroids (injection or tablets). I would recommend you to take Kane to your local vet to confirm the diagnosis (looking at the skin scrapes may be necessary to make the diagnosis) and to get the right treatment for your dog.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Porker. If he is eating, drinking and acting normal, it is likely not an emergency. However, he should see his veterinarian if the redness does not resolve. He could be experiencing an allergy or a superficial skin infection. His veterinarian will examine him and determine the best medications to help him feel better. In the meantime, you can try bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. I hope this information 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 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!


This sounds like an environment or food allergy. The red is due to yeast proliferation from moistness in the hair. I would recommend a novel protein elimination diet for 40 days. Benadryl is a good anti-histamine but may not work as it only improves a certain type of allergy. Neosporin can be damaging to the kidneys so I would avoid using it. It also only contains antibiotics and so would not be helpful. Fish oils can also be very helpful at lowering inflammation in the body and improving skin and joint health.