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Why does my dog get boils? Can charcoal paste or shampoo help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 68 lbs

My mixed breed keeps getting boils. Does bathing with me diced shampoo. Help. He was my sons dog that he bathed often. I don’t bathe him but once a week in summer and less in winter. Will this help preventive. I have used charcoal paste for boils of my own and was successful. Will that help. It allows the boil to rupture naturally

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on February 5th, 2018

Although a picture would be of great help understanding the underlying cause of the boils, this is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Inappropriate shampoos can cause allergic reactions as well. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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