My dog has hot spots, itchy skin, and pees a lot. Is it allergies?

Question

So, my dog has a heart murmur which we are having checked out soon, hotspots, huge itchy whelps, and after she pees once she squats several more times only dripping small amounts. She is allergic to fleas but doesn’t have any currently because she is on a monthly flea pill. How do I treat her hot spots? What are the whelps from? Why does she squat so much when she pees? Please help me! She has a poor immune system but we don’t know how to help her. Anything would be helpful at this point. Thanks. Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 8 months and 6 days old | 55 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

I'm so sorry to hear that Galadriel is having so many problems. Let's talk about skin first. Dogs that are allergic to fleas can also be allergic to other things. The most common are environments allergies or food allergies (even if they have been on the same food for a long time). And dogs that have flea allergies can have problems with even a single flea bite which can occur even when they are on a regular flea prevention. I am attaching more information about skin problems and allergies below. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 The most common reason for hot spots is an allergy, so it will be important to figure out what Galadriel is allergic to in order to help prevent future hot spots. Hot spots are initially treated by clipping the fur around the area and cleaning with an antibacterial solution. Depending on the severity of the infection, your veterinarian may elect for you to treat it topically (with antibacterial wipes or spray) or may send home oral antibiotics. Hot spots can be very painful, so sometimes pain medication will also be sent home. One of the most important things in getting hot spots to resolve is making sure they stay dry. If her hot spot is in a location that she can reach, you may need to use an e-collar to prevent licking until the area has healed. The following article has more information on hot spots. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952729 Finally, the most common reason that a female will frequently squat to urinate is that they have a urinary tract infection. I am attaching a handout with more information about that below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952574 So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Galadriel's skin and hot spot to see if she needs antibiotics for her skin and evaluate a urine sample to see if she has any evidence of a urinary tract infection. You will also be able to talk to them about potential allergies and what you can do to treat and prevent them. I know she has a number of problems, but it sounds like everything is a little out of control right now, so she will likely need a medication to decrease the inflammation of her current allergy outbreak and decrease the bumps. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that she feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

My dog has hot spots, itchy skin, and pees a lot. Is it allergies?

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