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Why does my pit bull have a recurring itchy rash and weepy sores?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 70 lbs

My pit bull has this rash that flares up from time to time. We have caught her licking this area a couple times and so we bought hot spot spray but it doesn’t ever go away. Could this be a serious skin condition? We just noticed that now she has a weepy new sore/rash under her armpit (last pic) Also we haven’t changed her diet recently so we don’t believe it’s related to that...the only thing we are putting on it is coconut oil right now

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Makenzie Kurth, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 29th, 2018

Thanks for using PetCoach! This is pretty classic for good old allergies. Pit bulls are notorious for having environmental allergies. You can start by trying some Benedryl (see link below), omega 3 fatty acids (about 2,000 mg fish oil per day) and Duoxo Calm shampoo. This combo seems to work well for dogs with mild-moderate, occasional allergies. Unfortunately, many of my pitties with allergies end up needing temeril - P, apoquel, cytopoint, or other medications to control their itching. If you’re not seeing improvement in 1 week (or if worsening at any time) head to your vet for more immediate/stronger relief. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ Best of luck to you and Rosie!

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 21st, 2017

    Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are describing could be environmental or dietary allergy. I would recommend starting Benadryl to see if this resolves the hives. You can find information on Benadryl by following the link below. I would also recommend bathing with a shampoo such as Douxo PS calm shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved. If the hives get much worse or do not resolved that I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

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