My dog's skin is scaly, smells bad. Is it fungal or bacterial?

Question

I woke up to my dog lickingand chewing a bit on his arm and then when I felt his arm i felt something hard and scaly and this is what I saw. What is this ? I know that he is having skin issues and we are trying to rule out fleas or fungal infection. How do you know the symptoms for mites and funga infection? I think he is having one of those two issues. His neck, chin/beard and ears all get in his water bowl and when you dry them they smell like mildew or just foul. I think it’s more fungal. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 7 months and 22 days old | 115 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

These types of scabs can indicate either bacterial or fungal. Both infections look very similar, the only way to tell the difference is to collect a sample for examination under a microscope. Fungal infections are, many times, secondary to chronic allergies (which could be from fleas, food, or environmental allergens). Bacterial infections can be caused by allergies, or also autoimmune diseases, chronic licking, inflammation of the skin, etc. I would recommend that you have Bear checked out by a vet to determine the cause. He may just need a few weeks of a medicated shampoo to help with his skin.

My dog's skin is scaly, smells bad. Is it fungal or bacterial?

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