My dog has a rash under her armpit. What causes it and how can I help?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Wheaten Terrier | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 8 months old | 6 lbs
My one yr old dog kiely has what looks like a rash under her left underarm what is it and what can I give her to clear it up?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 11th, 2019
This may be local irritation or infection. If Kiely is licking at it, place an e-collar (cone) on her. Keep the area clean and dry. This may be enough to allow for healing. If the rash worsens or spreads though, she will need to be examined by your veterinarian. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and/or antihistamines may be indicated depending on the diagnosis.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 28th, 2017
Those could be caused by bacterial infection of the skin. Bacterial folliculitis can have this kind of presentation and be present in areas of the body where there are skin folds (like armpits). Ideally a check up at your local veterinarian to confirm this clinical suspicion and antibiotic treatment would be necessary.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a red rash under his armpits. One seemed just like an irritation but the other looked more red and looked almost bloody. He has a cone on right now and has not been licking it but that could just be because he knows he cant. I'm not sure i
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be due to allergies, especially if he is itchy. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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 a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
June, my dog, has developed a rash under her front left arm. She licks it everyday, which I don’t think is helping her. My main question is, does this skin rash need to be tended to by a vet in person or can I treat it at home? If I can treat it at h
Hi, it seems like the rash is quite severe and definitely will cause pain. In general, rashes in this area are indicative of underlying allergies and most likely will reoccur. My point of view is to have June seen by a vet so she can receive prompt treatment that will relief pain and inflammation and to make a long term plan. The vet will also go through options that might be used at home once the inflammation is under control. Hope this helps !
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has been having a rash for about a week. In his armpits and gentials. I'm not sure how he got it.
It looks like your dog has a skin infection, most likely caused by allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from a protein in her food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, dust, etc. The allergies cause a breakdown in the skin barrier and make the dog very itchy. The excessive itching and licking cause the skin infection. I would recommend taking Rex in to see the vet so he can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up the skin and get on a good flea control. You may also ask about a medicated shampoo, these can help clear up the skin more quickly. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control the allergy symptoms like Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a raw rash under her arm. What would be the best care solution?
Hi there and thank you for using Boop by Petco to address your concern. From the photos you provided, this could be a bacterial and / or fungal infection. This area commonly stays moist and can develop a skin infection because of this. I would recommend using Malacetic Conditioning Spray (can be found online) and apply to the area twice daily until resolved. I would also recommend using a steroid spray (Petco has a spray called Well & Good Hydrocortisone spray) and apply twice daily as well to help relieve inflammation. If this does not resolve or it worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
My pup has a rash he keeps badly scratching his underarm and face..wat could it be?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. 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. Other possibilities such as mange need to also be considered and a physical examination and basic diagnostics should help sort that out. 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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog's skin under his armpits is very red & looks like a rash almost. It looks like a skin tag in a way. Is this normal? And what would cause his skin to look this way?
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are seeing appears to be a rash that could be secondary to chafing. In a young active dog chafing can be common from high activity due to the friction leading to the redness and inflammation that you are seeing currently. I typically recommend using a spray such as malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the area until resolved. This spray will have a steroid in it to reduce inflammation and redness. It also has an antibacterial component to it so that if there is a secondary bacterial infection in this area it will help treat that. To help prevent future episodes, I typically recommend applying a greasy ointment in the armpit area such as Biobalm. This is a product that you can find online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi there, Bailey has a rash on her tummy, under her armpits, behind her ears and on her chest, basically the lower part of her body. I was wondering if you could let me know the right medication to help her out please? Thank you for your time :)
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be 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). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us aga
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has this rash on her belly what is it?
It could be a local bacterial infection, fungal infection or inflammation. You would need to have Lily physically examined by your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis and for treatment. If she is licking at it, place an e-collar (cone) on her. Keep the area clean and dry until she sees the vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a scabbed up rash in his arm pit in groin area. He won't quit licking it, and it seems to be getting worse. They look like tons of bug bites but I'm not sure
Ok. The first thing you need to do is stop him from licking!! You can go to any large pet store and purchase an Elizabethan collar (aka: E-collar, cone). Take him with you when you buy it as it needs to be properly fitted. The cone portion must be long enough to go past the end of his nose or he will still be able to lick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x64MQlDPeo
It will never get better if he doesn't stop licking it.
Second step is to use a topical medicated shampoo and spray like the ones I linked to below to see if you can get the rash to clear up. If the rash does not start to look better within 5-7 days then you will need to get him to your vet for an exam.
First bathe with the shampoo. Follow the instructions to a "T" on the label. After he is dry you can use the spray as a leave-on treatment. Spray 2x a day. Bathe him every 3-4 days during the treatment period but use the spray every day.
https://www.chewy.com/douxo-chlorhexidine-ps-shampoo-dogs/dp/110818
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Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
rashes beneath his hair so how I should put topical creams? Should I trim hair or apply like this ? Earlier cephalexin 500mg twice a day for 15 days after every 2months if given has jo side effect on kidney so why on the internet its written this med
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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