Why is my dog biting red bumps on her back? Is it irritation?

Chronic skin problems could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. 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 lesions 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 his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Simba wear an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent licking if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Shirley! Those spots on Shirley could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment or food allergy. Thyroid disease can also cause chronic skin problems. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the bumps should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they are unlikely to 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 Shirley wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

There are a few possibilities as to what this could be on Ruby. In a younger dog benign masses called histocytomas are possible. These generally regress with time. However, masses like mast cell tumors can also present this way. Mast cell tumors can be problematic and need to be surgically removed. Mast cell tumors also release histamine so please do not continue to try to squeeze this growth. Some other causes of this (although probably less likely) are cysts or infections. I recommend taking Ruby to see your veterinarian so that a sample of cells from the mass can be obtained. This will help in diagnosing the growth and in deciding if it needs to be removed surgically. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope this turns out to be a benign issue for Ruby.

Those look like they could be some sort of allergic reaction ongoing, and if it is spreading it would be best to have a sample taken from a vet so that it could be sent to a lab for testing if the cause isn't apparent upon examination and to rule out issues such as growths, tumors, metabolic illnesses, etc. Keeping the area clean and dry and placing an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Rose may also help reduce additional irritation. If Rose is aggressive or uncomfortable at the vet, you may also want to see if your vet can either prescribe a sedative to give prior to arriving which may make things a little less stressful for her, or see if housecall services are an option on your area. Sometimes, just being at home can help a dog stay more calm and less stressed out while receiving veterinary care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ruka. He appears to have small red areas on his belly. This can indicate a skin infection. While there are many causes of skin irritations, allergies are common this time of year. Humans inhale allergens such as grasses, weeds, pollens and molds. This results in watery eyes, runny nose, etc. This can happens in dogs, but more commonly dogs walk through the grass. This will result in irritation of the underside and paws of the dog. This could be the case with Ruka. The veterinarian will examine him and ask detailed questions about his lifestyle, diet and medication. Skin tests may be recommended. Based on these results, treatment can be started if needed. 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!

It looks like your dog has a skin infection, most likely caused by allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from something in her food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, etc. I would recommend taking Pippa in to see the vet so she can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up her skin. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control her allergies like Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint.

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 her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!