Skin is very irritated amd he is scratching to the point of scabs. What relief can we give him until we see the vet. He does not have fleas. Thanks. Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male | neutered

Poor Shorty! He does sound quite uncomfortable. You can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo, or using a topical hydrocortisone spray labeled for dogs - you should be able to find this at most pet stores. These things may help to soothe his skin and help relieve the itching until he can see a vet. He will probably need prescription medication including an antibiotic and a short-term steroid like prednisone to treat the problem effectively, so I would definitely recommend having him seen by a vet on Monday if at all possible.

Ouch! Well, the first thing you need to do is get an e-collar on your pup to prevent him from continuing to scratch. If he is able to reach his face he is going to keep on making the affected area worse and worse. In terms of treatment, the area already looks mildly inflamed and infected. I would try and clip the hair around the area and clean it off with some chlorhexidine solution (or something similar to this that is available in your area). Once clean, you can certain apply some antibiotic ointment to the area daily or twice daily to encourage the healing process and prevent any additional secondary infection. Some of the creams you can obtain will also have steroids in them to help with the itchiness. If you are able to visit a vet, they will be able to provide oral antibiotics and anti-itch medications that may be more beneficial than what is available over the counter. Hope this helps!