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Dog has skin sores and scratching. What's wrong and what to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 9 years and 1 month old | 85 lbs

What is wrong with my dog?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 26th, 2019

Skin lesions like those in the pictures can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection (like mites or ringworm), dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, trauma (such as from scratches/bites from another animal) or a combination of the above. Some of those lesions look quite deep and are likely pretty sore, so I recommend making an appointment to have Bogart seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Bogart in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the affected area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions.

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Other Answers

  • Image profile

    Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 18th, 2019

    Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Google seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Google in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, and put an e-collar (cone) on Google to help reduce the risk of scratching at the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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