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Why is my dog's itchy, smelly rash bleeding and getting worse?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 60 lbs

My dog has what looks like heat rash but it itches to the point he's bleeding he also has an odor this has been getting worse every day for over a week

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on August 3rd, 2017

Heat rash in dogs can occur between the legs and armpit regions, but it is usually not itchy. I recommend that Blue see a vet to figure out what is going on. There are many possibilities for the rash that you see, including bacterial or yeast infection, fleas, ticks, mites, and allergies. It is hard for me to tell you where the odor is coming from, but often yeast has a peculiar smell. Your vet may want to do a skin scrape to look for mites or a cytology to look for bacteria or yeast. Treatment will depend on what the vet finds but may include an anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, or topical medications. While you wait for your appointment, try to keep Blue from licking and scratching the area as he can make it much worse and it could get infected if it isn't already. You can try applying a thin layer of Neosporin to see if it will soothe the area.

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