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My dog has a rash with pus bumps and scabs. Is it an infection?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labradoodle | Male | neutered | 7 years and 1 month old | 69 lbs

I have a black labradoodle and he is 7. Fred has a thick curly coat but developed a rash on his belly and back legs. The bumps were raised and some look to have pus and scabs. He scratched a bit but nothing noticeable. He still has a few on the skin but they are scabs only. He takes frontline and heart guard monthly. What could these bumps be?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 9th, 2017

The bumps are most likely due to a bacterial skin infection based on your description. These infections usually happen due to some irritation or excessive moisture on the skin. It's best to have a veterinarian look at this, so they can determine what treatment is necessary and possibly find the inciting cause. You can help the infection right now by giving her a bath with medicated shampoo (you can find this at the pet store). Gently massage the shampoo into the skin for 15 minutes and rinse well after bathing. The bath can be repeated every day until the infection starts to clear, then can be reduced to once a week. I hope that helps and Fred gets better soon.

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    Answered By Lauren M. Jones, VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 29th, 2017

    I'm sorry to hear that Mazy has been so itchy with these skin lesions. Itchy lesions with pus most commonly occur as a result of a bacterial skin infection, which often occurs as a result of underlying allergies to fleas, food or the environment. Make sure that Mazy is receiving a high quality flea preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto or K9 Advantix II to assure that this is not related to a flea sensitivity. You can also try bathing her in an antiseptic shampoo (here is one example: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982). However, if these strategies are unsuccessful, or if her skin appears to worsen, Mazy will need to go to her vet for further evaluation. I hope that all goes well!

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