My dog has a skin infection. When should I take her to the vet?

From the pictures, the skin appears red and inflamed. It does look like it is infected. While this may not be a true emergency, I would recommend getting in to see your veterinarian very soon. Pookie will need the area shaved and cleaned up. Your vet may prescribe an antibiotic for this as well depending. Until you can get to your vet, you can keep the area clean and dry and use a mild soap and water to clean the wound. If Pookie is licking it, you can put on ECollar on her to prevent licking.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does look like Max has a skin infection. Washing him was a good idea but he likely needs oral antibiotics to cure it. Puppies commonly get skin infections on their belly because they have a weak immune system. I would take him to the vet to get medications started. Good luck and kisses to Max!

Those look like infections on Honey. Generally they are bacterial but ringworm (which humans can get) is possible. If they are in fact bacterial, many times the body will clear them up on its own. If it does not go away or gets worse (or Honey is itchy) take her into the vet. Sometimes dogs just get these infections. Other times it indicates allergies or endocrine disorders. Thank you for using Pet Coach!

Thank you for your question. From your photo, it appears that Bear has a small skin infection. I recommend cleaning it with warm soapy water. You can carefully trim the hair around the lesion to make it easier to clean. Since you just noticed this, it is hard to say if it is something that has been there and is healing, or if it will get worse. I recommend keeping it clean through the weekend and using a cone or e-collar to keep Bear from licking the area. You can apply a triple antibiotic ointment once or twice a day. If it isn't getting better, you should call your veterinarian on Monday to have it evaluated and see if antibiotics are needed. Make sure you wash your hands after you have touched the wound. I hope this information helps, and that Bear heals quickly.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Hannah! I'm glad you are planning to set up an appointment. It looks like in the last 2 pictures that she may have a bacterial skin infection. The vet will be able to tell more in person. We treat skin infections with oral antibiotics, medicated shampoo and something to stop the scratching. Skin infections can be from allergies to the environment or from her food. I do not think the skin issue is related to the tick you removed but be sure to have her on a good flea and tick preventative. I wish Hannah the best!

There's no way to know for sure from a photograph, but it does look like a bacterial infection. It is important to have this seen by your vet to determine what it is so the correct treatment can be started as soon as possible before it gets worse or is a sign of an underlying problem. Your vet will do an exam, possibly labwork, and based on these results will be better able to tell you what is causing this and how best to treat it.

That is either a bacterial or fungal infection on Daisy's skin. SHe needs to see a vet to have this resolved. The vet needs to test the skin first and then can prescribe the correct medication to help this resolve. I hope that Daisy can see your vet soon. Its best to keep her away from other dogs and don't handle the area much until she is tested. Best of luck moving forward. Take care.