Australian Shepherd scratching raw neck spots. Vet or home treatment?

I’m sorry to hear Susson is so uncomfortable right now. I would encourage you to schedule a follow up appointment with your veterinarian. I would be very suspicious about mites, and a skin scrape to Try to find them would be a great place to start. Even if I can’t prove it I usually will do a trial therapy anyway. Also, it’s possible she has a skin infection and may need antibiotics and a medicated shampoo. Although with her history of being on the street mites are highly likely. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Congratulations on adding Carter to your family! Those spots on Carter could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can treat for fleas. Your veterinarian carries the best products but if you need an OTC recommendation, stick with Frontline. 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 once a day (not his whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! If Saint has a dry goose honk cough it is likely kennel cough since he was just in the shelter. Kennel cough is usually self limiting over 2 weeks. He shouldn't be allowed around other dogs until the cough has resolved as it is very contagious. His skin can be from fleas, a skin infection, poor diet, demodex or ring worm. There is also a gland at the tail base that can get infected. Be sure he is on a good oral flea and tick preventative. Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica get fleas and ticks, as well as demodec. I would start him on a good commercial balanced dog food, start an Omega 3 fish oil and try a medicated shampoo. if the skin doesn't improve in 2 weeks he should be seen by a Vet. Bathe him 2x's per week and let the lather sit on for 10 mins before rinsing. I attached links below to some products. I wish you and Saint the best! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24785 https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/ https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27307

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often gets trapped under their collar and/or loose skin. It appears to be minor, so you can try a couple of things at home to get clear the infection. 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesion(s). There may be more than one of these. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take him to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

If you haven't yet had him seen by a vet, ideally I would recommend that you have him evaluated. He may have a secondary bacterial infection that needs to be cleared up with antibiotics, and he may benefit from prescription medications such as Apoquel which can make a big difference for these guys! If you are unable to get him to the vet, you can try him on an antihistamine such as Benadryl. See here for dosing info: https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/benadryl/. Try switching him to a "sensitive skin" food, such as this: (this s actually what I feed my dog who has some skin allergies/dry skin/itchiness) https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/hills-science-diet-adult-sensitive-stomach-and-skin-chicken-recipe-dry-dog-food You can also give some Omega 3 supplements, as this may help as well. Bathe him once a week to cut down on topical allergens being absorbed in the skin, and follow with a dog cream rinse. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-shampoo-with-vitamin-d3 https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-rinse-with-vitamin-d3 If these "at home" measures don't give him relief, though, get him in to see your vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Poor Cooper! It sounds like you're already on the right track for ruling out issues, however, environmental allergens can also flare up this time of year which may be causing the excessive itchiness. Since that area is very badly irritated and inflamed, I definitely agree with getting into your vet ASAP. Since it's right on his neck, you can try inverting an Elizabethan (cone) collar so that the cone part covers the irritation and the neck park sits up closer around his ears, so that it doesn't rub against the irritated spot and protects it from further scratching. Keeping the area clean and dry can also help reduce any secondary infections that may take hold in the irritated skin. An over the counter allergy medication such as Benadryl can also help by reducing any irritation/itchiness, and may also have the added benefit of making him a little drowsy so he's less likely to scratch. However, getting into the vet like you planned is the best course of action. If there is a big wound opening up, it gets worse, it oozes debris, or Cooper seems in major distress, getting into your vet sooner or reaching out to an urgent care vet may be a good idea.

I agree that the lesion is concerning. It looks like it could be a bacterial or a yeast infection. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. In the meantime bathing in an antimicrobial shampoo such as chlorhexidine or salicylic acid would be a good idea. This can be found in the human shampoo aisle in the dandruff area. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.