My dog has itchy skin, rashes, lumps, and hair loss. What to do?

Question

My dog has lumps all over his back. He's got rough spots, red rashes, hair loss on his back by butt, his neck area looks puffy, and he's scratching so much he's getting open sores. I don't have any money was wondering if there's anything I can do at home. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered

Ricardo Fernandez, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it could be skin allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively! There is really nothing specific you can try at home other than bathing him with a medicated shampoo you can get at your local pet store. This shampoo should contain chlorehexidine. In reality though, this is unlikely to resolve this issue completely. Good luck and have a good day!

My dog has itchy skin, rashes, lumps, and hair loss. What to do?

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