Why does my puppy scratch, have scabs, and smell bad after a bath?

Thank you for your question. Patches must be pretty uncomfortable. There are several possible reasons for this type of itchiness. The first thing I recommend is make sure he has been treated for fleas. Even one little flea can trigger massive itching in a dog that is sensitive to them. Other things that can cause this type of itching are food allergies, environmental allergies, mites, and bacterial skin infections. When the skin becomes this damaged, a trip to your veterinarian is necessary. We often have to prescribe antibiotics to control local bacterial infections that can result from all the scratching. We also need to get the itching under control. Sometimes this means steroids, and sometimes we prescribe a medication specifically to control itching. A t-shirt can be used to protect the skin from further scratching while it heals. There are some over the counter anti-itch sprays you can try, but many times they are not strong enough. I hope this helps, and Patches is feeling better soon!

It's likely Sahara has either a bacterial infection, a yeast infection or severe allergies. Less frequently, an underlying endocrine disease may also be the root cause. When bad odors won't go away with a bath, it generally indicates a problem. I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian so that she can have the correct diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the itching and odor should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. 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. Also protect the area from trauma by having Sahara wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. In a 7 month old pup, my first guess is Demodex mange. But, this could also be a simple bacterial infection. Let your veterinarian do a simple skin test to see if the mites are present. There is a very specific treatment for this & usually results in a cure within a few months. I do hope you can have her seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Chiko! There are many different things that could cause itching, scabs, and hair loss like this. Some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. Because of this, I would recommend taking Chiko to the vet tomorrow for an exam. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, you can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo if you want to - this will not treat the underying problem causing his symptoms, but may help to soothe his skin and make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

It could be caused by many different things. He could have demodex, ringworm, flea allergy dermatitis, scabies, etc. Since he is constantly itching, he should be examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. Your vet can do a skin scrape, culture, cytology, etc. to help diagnose and then prescribe the best medications to treat. I do not think apple cider vinegar will give him the relief that he needs.

This looks like moist pyoderma which is a focal bacterial skin infection. They can be very mucoid and smell as well as inflamed. Sometimes removing the hair and applying topical antibiotic medication works but other times oral medications are needed for this to clear up.

Poor Eve sounds very uncomfortable! This scratching can be caused by mites, ringworm, or allergies. I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. As for her fur being different lengths, it could be due to the constant scratching and chewing. With these actions, she is continually doing damage to the hair shafts, and they are weaker because of it, consequently growing back in shorter and in a different color. Once the cause of chewing and scratching is diagnosed and treated, hopefully her fur will begin to repair and grow in longer.