My dog's skin is scabby and irritated under her fur. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Rat Terrier | Female | spayed | 10 lbs
My dog hair is still in tact. But under the hair she is scabby and looks and irritated.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 10th, 2018
I'm sorry to hear that Maya is having skin problems. There are a number of reasons for skin problems in dogs. This article does an excellent job of describing them. You could be dealing with allergies (of various types), external parasites (such as fleas or mites), or secondary infections (bacterial or yeast). https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-dog-so-itchy/ This is also an excellent article on itching in dogs and the possible causes and treatments. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 Often the first step is making sure there isn’t any evidence of external parasites that need to be treated. You may still be dealing with a flea allergy even if you have treated the fleas. Once a flea bites a flea allergy dog, that dog can stay itchy for a week. Using a good quality flea preventative product will help treat and prevent fleas. Here is additional information on fleas causing itching in dogs. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952572 I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Maya to discuss your treatment options. Your veterinarian can run a few simple skin tests to rule out fungus, mites, or a bacteria as the cause of the crusting. You will need to discuss resolving any of these secondary infections which will create crusting and make her more itchy. This can involve topical treatments (like shampoos, wipes or sprays) or may involve oral medications. Then you can discuss ways to prevent problems in the future. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 21st, 2019
Those spots on Maya could be several things including allergies, skin mites, flea bites, ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash her whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching.Check/treat for fleas as well. If it doesn't start looking better within about a week or if the lesions get worse, have her examined by the veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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