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Why is my dog whining, scratching, and covered in itchy bumps?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | 1 year and 7 months old

My dog has these itchey bumps all over her skin. She is whining,pacing back and forth. What could this be. She is scratching and biting the skin constantly

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on May 13th, 2019

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat her with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get her to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 13th, 2016

    Itchy skin is very common in dogs and could be a sign of a seasonal/environmental allergy, food allergy or other external parasites like mites. The constant itching can cause a secondary bacterial or fungal infection that can cause hair loss or small scabs or bumps on the skin. I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian - they can take samples to help rule out mites or diagnose a skin infection and discuss other things you can do to help with the itching.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on November 25th, 2016

    Poor Remi! Bumps on the skin like this with pus and blood inside are usually a sign of a bacterial skin infection called pyoderma - this can occur on its own, or due to an underlying problem such as fleas, allergies, or skin mites (mange). This problem will require oral antibiotics and a short-term steroid like prednisone to treat effectively, so I would recommend having Remi examined by a vet as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to confirm the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 24th, 2017

    This is probably 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 (advocate or advantage), 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). 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.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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