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My dog has tiny scabs all over her body. Should I be worried?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | 12 years and 7 months old | 17 lbs

My dog has tiny scabs all over body. She only goes outside to potty and is 13 years old with congestive heart failure. Should I be worried?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on September 1st, 2017

There is a large number of reasons for scabs to develop on a dog's body. It might be a simple as a skin infection which is the most common reason that we see scabs, but it certainly could be something else. I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Lilly to see what they think. If it appears to be a skin infection (pyoderma). There are a number of treatment options for pyoderma. Sometimes we can resolve them with topical treatment (antibacterial shampoos, sprays or wipes), but sometimes they require oral or injectable antibiotics. Here is an article on pyoderma. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1571 However, we still need to look for the cause of the pyoderma. There are a number of reasons for skin problems in dogs. This article does an excellent job of describing them. You could be dealing with allergies (of various types) or external parasites (such as fleas or mites). https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-dog-so-itchy/ This is also an excellent article on itching in dogs and the possible causes and treatments. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2604 Often the first step is making sure there isn’t any evidence of external parasites that need to be treated. You may still be dealing with a flea allergy even if you have treated Lilly for fleas. Once a flea bites a flea allergy dog, that dog can stay itchy for a week. Here is additional information on fleas causing itching in dogs. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2455 So, to answer your question, I wouldn't be worried, but I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Lilly to discuss your treatment options. Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hello and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sight unseen, it can be hard to say exactly what the issue may be, but I can offer a few possibilities. One possibility could be an allergic reaction to an insect bite or sting if she has developed these lesions in the last 24 hours (recently). Another possibility could be an allergy to pollen, grass, or another environmental allergen. Sometimes dogs can be allergic to carpeting or certain upholstery. Lastly, the scabbing could be caused by mites causing mange or a bacterial or fungal infection. To directly answer your question should you worry is hard to answer in this case. I would have to talk with you more to get a better idea. Environmental allergies, bacterial, fungal, or infections cause by mites are all treatable and are generally not cause for alarm unless the problem is very severe. I hope this helps answer your question. Feel free to request a consult with me and we can chat further. Best to you and Lilly!

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