My Shih Tzu's chin is red, swollen, and bleeding from wet food. Why?

Question

7 year old shitzu. Has a lot of food allergies but he’s currently eating a wet dehydrated food with added sweet potatoes. The food and water seem to get stuck to the bottom of his chin hair. I started to notice after wiping it that it was really red and swollen and started bleeding after a few days. Any idea of what this is?? Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 7 years and 9 months old | 15 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The chin and neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often builds-up and gets trapped under the fur. It appears to be rather involved, so you will want your vet to examine it at some point, but you can try a couple of things at home to keep it from getting worse. 1) Clip the hair with electric clippers around the area and expose all of the lesions if possible. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian provide treatment. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take her to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

My Shih Tzu's chin is red, swollen, and bleeding from wet food. Why?

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