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What causes sudden skin issues and scratching in my dog overnight?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Male | neutered | 3 years and 7 months old | 11 lbs

My pup has been having some skin issues - this happened overnight. It doesn't seem to really bother him, although he tries to scratch at it occasionally and acts perfectly normal. Any idea what could have caused this or what it could be?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Allison Newth, VMD

Veterinarian

Published on July 14th, 2017

Without getting a sample (a swab or a scraping) from the skin it's tough to say exactly what might be going on with Opie's skin. Your veterinarian would probably take a sample and evaluate it under a microscope to see whether there might be bacteria or yeast present. If the swab showed yeast or bacteria that would likely indicate that Opie has a skin infection. There are other things that can cause red skin lesions such as insect bites, allergic reactions, and even a fungal infection called ringworm (this is a fungus, not an actual worm despite the name). It does look like Opie has licked off a fair amount of fur, which can signal that Opie is itchy. your veterinarian, in addition to treating the source of the skin lesions would likely also place an e-collar to prevent him from licking at the site and would probably prescribe a medication for itch. I hope I could be of help!

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It looks like he has a bacterial skin infection. You could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps. Otherwise, have him examined by your vet for treatment. He may need an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory to treat.

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