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Puppy has a severe rash and crusty eyes. What can I do at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 15 days old

I got a 6week old German shepherd puppy that i just got yesterday, when i got her she refused to eat but would drink, i started giving her replacement milk and today she finally started eating wet food, today i noticed a rash on her leg that is very hard and i asked the breeder and she said it may be an allergic reaction, she also has some crust on her eyes, is there anything i can be doing at home that could help?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Eryn Taormina, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 6th, 2019

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Maggie's skin troubles. The rash looks pretty severe in my opinion. I would definitely take her in and have her evaluated by a veterinarian. Although it definitely could've been triggered by an allergic reaction, my concern is the red spots and raw areas. Maggie may need some oral antibiotics and medicated shampoos to help her along. Some things that can cause infections in puppy skin are staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria, mites or other parasites on the skin, or even fungus. The streptococcus bacteria can cause something called, "puppy strangles" that can definitely be a serious infection in puppies. The veterinarian, as I mentioned, can prescribe some medicated shampoos and oral medications to help to keep the infection at bay. In the meantime, I see no harm in a soothing oatmeal bath, as long as it's made for puppies 4 weeks and older. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

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