Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

Why are my dog's red, dry skin spots getting worse despite treatment?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered

My dog has these dry spots that have started to turn red and yellow and spreading all over his body. I started washing him with Antiseptic and Antifungal shampoo and making sure his ears are clear of mites because he is a black Labrador and then also putting on coconut oil. However, it’s starting to get worse. He has never had this before and I’m concern

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

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

Veterinarian

Published on September 19th, 2018

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). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Sponsored