My dog's ear rash is getting worse. Is it a food allergy or infection?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 2 years and 8 months old | 9 lbs
My Luna has developed what seems to be a weird rash on her ears. One ear is a worse than the other. I checked for fleas but I did not see any. I am wondering if this would be normal for a food allergy? She’s had this issue for a few days but now it seems like it’s getting worse.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on June 4th, 2019
This appears to be either a mild bacterial infection or an allergic reaction of some sort. I suggest you do the following: 1. Give Children's liquid Benadryl (12.5mg/5ml) and she can 1/2 teaspoon twice a day for the next couple days in case of an allergy. 2. Purchase these medicated pads and wipe the affected areas once a day until healed. If not better or resolved in about 7-10 days then have your vet check her out. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx ) I doubt this is a food allergy; possible but not probable. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 22nd, 2019
Some possibilities: * ringworm * bacterial skin infection * yeast skin infection Those would be most common. You can attempt to use these medicated pads. If after 7-10 days there seems to be no improvement then you should have your vet check this out. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20pad+Auto )
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
I went to Jessie’s usual vet 2x already to show them his rash. They were not concerned and sent me home with Chlorhexadine Gluconate 3% just in case. I use it as prescribed and the rash almost looks worse. I am not sure if it more than just a rash an
It does look like a skin infection but the origin (bacterial, fungal, yeast) I don't know just by looking at it. If it is bacterial, sometimes oral antibiotics are needed if topical therapy is not working. I don't know what cream you are using as I am not aware of a chlorhexidine cream, or how long you have been using it, so it's hard for me to comment much more on what you are already doing. I personally like these chlorhexidine wipes because they also contain an anti-fungal/anti-yeast component (climabazole) and a component to help repair the skin (phytosphingosine) so it is gentle. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo+Auto ) If she is licking this area, it will never get better. So, if she is licking, you will need to get an E-collar (cone) for her to wear until this is healed. So, if you want to try the medicated pads, I would do that. If there is still not resolution after a few weeks then she should go bac
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a rash, she has allergies to some foods but it’s been over a week with it progressively getting worse. I have an appointment set up to see the vet in a couple days but I want to know is there anything I should do for her in the mean time.
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! I can see that Bristol has some redness and crusting on her abdomen. While this can be caused by food allergy, the redness and crusting is an indication of a skin infection. You can bathe Bristol with an antibacterial shampoo formulated for dogs, which can be found in pet stores to begin getting the itching and infection under control. I also recommend getting her an E-collar or "cone" to prevent her from licking/chewing the area and making it worse. If you think that certain foods may cause the signs to get worse, I recommend feeding Bristol only her dog food, with no human food or treats for the next few days. I hope this helps and that all is well with Bristol!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog as had a rash for about 3 weeks and not to sure what could cause it.We were feeding him BLUE Life Protection Formula® Large Breed Adult Dog Food - Chicken & Brown Rice I am attaching a picture so you can see what I am talking about.
It looks like he could have a skin infection and/or an allergic dermatitis. You could bathe him with antibacterial dog shampoo and see if that helps. Otherwise, have him examined by a vet for treatment. He might need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, and/or other medications to treat.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I recently posted on here asking about some markings on Moose's belly (Please read my last question for more info) Now the markings are red and scaly/scabbing. He's still completely unbothered by it and acting perfectly normal. I've done some researc
It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my 1 year old dog has some kind of rash inside both ears which is raised, grey red looking and smells a bit. I have attached a photo. Is this something I can treat myself?
It looks like your kid has a pretty severe ear infection there. The redness is inflammation and the gray area is thickening of the external ear canal from chronic inflammation. What would be best would be for your pup to be seen by your family vet for an ear exam and cytology. In order to treat this appropriately your vet will need to know if there are bacteria (and what type) or yeast or both in the ear canals and if the eardrum is intact. An anti inflammatory may also be needed because of the thickening. If ear infections are a chronic problem for your pup underlying allergy may also need to be explored. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a rash-like scab. He itches sometimes but I think it could possibly be that he’s allergic to something.
This looks like a bacterial infection of the skin and it is pretty significant. This could also be due to mange. I would really recommend you get him to a vet for an exam. He will likely need oral antibiotics to clear this up and other medication if they think mange is involved. In the meantime, you can use this medicated shampoo on him to see if it helps: ( https://www.chewy.com/dermabenss-shampoo-dogs-cats-horses/dp/112480 ) Lather, let it sit on his coat for 10-15 minutes and then rinse. Bathe him every 2-3 days. The contact time is VERY important so be sure to leave the shampoo on for the recommend time before rinsing. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a rash in his right armpit and elbow. We took him to the vet and they weren't sure what could be causing it. They prescribed him Betafuse vet gel and told us to use it twice a day for 2 weeks. It's been 2 weeks now and the rash has gotten
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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 and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewardi
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dachshund has a skin rash on her stomach and under her arms. The rash has red bumps which eventually scab over and then flake off but they do not have puss. She does lick them every once and awhile but it is not constantly. She gets the same rash
It could be an allergy or an infection. Hard to say without an exam and some testing. You can try using this medicated spray on the affected area . If after a week or so of treating her the skin doesn't look much better then she should see a vet. You would use one spray every day to every other day until the lesions have resolved. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6677-douxo-chlorhexidine-micro-emulsion-spray-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo+Auto )
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a rash on his belly. It's red and splotchy, and looks like some spots he's scratched so they are a little worse. His ears seem swollen as well. The rash seems to bother him slightly, but he isn't whimpering like it hurts. I haven't changed
Hello and welcome to Boop by Petco. There seems to be two different types of 'spots' on Baxter. The pinky raised ones look like an allergic reaction, and the type that is usually caused by a bug bite. This would also make his ears swell and maybe his face including his muzzle/jowels and around his eyes. This will go away with time, and you can give him Benedryl as well, at a dose of 2mg/kg (which is about 50mg for a dog of Baxter's size). Please make sure the only active ingredient is Diphenhydramine, and that you don't get a 'non-drowsy' version as these have other drugs that are VERY toxic to dogs . The other spots that are only on his left side, under his left arm and down his left side, look like bruising on the picture, and more of a scratch, almost like road rash. If this is new as well then I would recommend getting Baxter seen right away, especially if he has no history of a big trauma. The bruising is especially worrying if he hasn't had a big hit/accident, as it is wo
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a rash and she itches all the time but I just can’t seem to figure out what it is. She also has things that feel like sores on her body and her ears have the same rash her stomach does. Please help!!
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her 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 and/or skin tests. Aller
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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