Why does my dog have stinky farts and a bald spot, should I worry?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The smell usually indicates skin infection, so ideally you should take Jaceky to your local vets to get a course of antibiotics. Alternatively, you can first clip the wounds from the hair and use antiseptic solution ( 4% chlorhexidine would be best) and clean it twice a day. Also, make sure that your dog doesn't lick or scratch the wounds. For ticks, the most effective treatments are spot-on skin solutions that you can buy over-the-counter at pet shops or online.

I'm sorry to hear that Riddlebox is so itchy! The Fritos description is a pretty common one with skin issues in dogs, as it's often associated with bacterial and yeast (a fungus) infection of the skin. Oftentimes skin infections occur secondarily to another issue that has caused a dog to lick or scratch excessively, as this damages the protective skin layers and allows infection to occur. Riddlebox has lost an impressive amount of hair along his back. It's possible that this initial hair loss could be caused by underlying allergies (to fleas, food, or the environment), mange (caused by mites), ringworm (caused by a fungal infection), or even endocrine disorders (including hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease). At this point, I'd start by taking Riddlebox to his vet for an exam and some diagnostic testing. After testing for evidence of infection as well as trying to get to the root problem, your vet will likely prescribe some medication. These may include antibiotics, anti fungal medications, medicated shampoos, and anti-itch medications. I hope that Riddlebox is feeling better soon!

There could be a couple of reasons why Diesel is losing hair on his stomach and armpit. He could have a skin infection causing the hair loss, or could be suffering from Cushing's disease. It could also be that he's very itchy. Severe itching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose Cushing's disease allergies, mites, and ringworm. The vet can also check to see if he has a skin infection. Once the cause of the hair loss is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I would give your vet a call to set up an appointment. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without pictures and without examining Shadow myself it is difficult to say what the problem is. If you are seeing round areas of hair loss, this could be due to ringworm, a bacterial skin infection or potentially skin parasites such as Demodex. I would have this looked at by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps!

She likely has a urinary tract infection. I would recommend scheduling her an appt in the morning to get her urine checked and treated. She likely has blood there because her bladder is inflamed and may have gone unnoticed for a while, or there could potentially be crystals in her urine (the vet will check for this). She will likely need a short course of antibiotics to clear up the infection, and it is ok to wait until morning or the next day to be seen for this. Bald spots with no associated itching in a Pitt Bull is demodexx until proven otherwise. Have the vet do a skin scrape to look for the suspected mites. If she does have mites (usually non-contagious if confirmed as being demodexx), then she can go on a flea preventative such as Nexgard or Simparica to treat off-label for demodexx. We use either of these products now for Demodexx treatment b/c it is easier than the traditional daily Ivermectin oral solution. Best of luck with your pet Stella and I hope she gets all her problems resolved soon. Take care.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics).

He really should be examined by a vet to determine the cause of all his problems. It sounds like he needs a complete physical examination and some diagnostic tests to figure out why he is having all these problems. Your vet can do a skin scrape, cytology, or culture to determine why he has a bald patch on his head. He could have a skin infection, ringworm, demodex, etc. and once it is diagnosed your vet can prescribe medications to help treat. For the excessive drinking, your vet can run blood-work and a urinalysis to check his kidneys and rule out other diseases than can cause dogs to drink more water. Your vet can also do an orthopedic examination to determine why he is limping. A food allergy could be contributing to his problems but I don't believe it is all his diet.