Why does my 9-month-old Lab have severe skin infections despite diet?

Question

Severe Pyoderma in 9 month old silver labrador retreiver. PLEASE HELP. We have tried every diet thinkable. It just keeps getting worse. Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 9 months and 24 days old | 75 lbs

Ricardo Fernandez, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without knowing more about the case and examining him. However, if these infections are recurrent, I would have to assume that this could be due to allergies. An examination and gathering more information would help tremendously. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Why does my 9-month-old Lab have severe skin infections despite diet?

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