Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

My dog is very itchy with red spots and crying. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Papillon | Female | spayed | 12 lbs

My dog is about 9 years old. She is very itchy and has these red spots on her skin and she also has been crying consecutively for hours at a time. She hasn't been given any flea or other medication recently. What could this be?

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on May 14th, 2017

Typically, itchy red skin with hair loss is caused by either fleas, mites (mange), ringworm ( actually a fungus) or allergies. For me, the most common one of these is allergies. Dogs can have allergies to ingredients in their food or to things in the environment. They need to be seen by a vet who can rule out the other causes I mentioned, and then take the appropriate course of treatment. Some dogs will improve greatly on a hypoallergenic diet, others need immunosuppressive drugs. Often these guys have secondary bacterial infections that require antibiotics. I'd recommend an appointment With Lylas vet ASAP to get this sorted out, and get her some medications to help her feel better.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Sponsored