Is my dog's armpit hair loss and red skin a fungal infection?

Skin problems in dogs are usually related to allergies. They can get secondary bacterial and yeast infections. Unfortunately there is no way to know if Minnie has a yeast infection just by looking at the a picture. I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian where they can do a thorough exam and skin cytology. They place a slide against the irritated skin and then stain the slide and examine under a microscope. They can then give medication based on it is bacterial or yeast. If the primary areas are the armpits and the belly- I suspect that Minnie is allergic to something in the air which has caused a secondary infection. One thing to remember with allergies is that there is not one magic treatment . Do not get frustrated when the first treatment doesn't' work, each dog is different. Allergies can be controlled, but not cured. Thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco!

Hi and thanks for posting on Boop by Petco! Thanks for sending along the pictures- the areas there do look very red and do appear infected to me. Allergies, bacterial, fungal, or mite infections can all be possible causes. You can try the medicated shampoo again to see if it helps this time around. If it doesn't help much or if it worsens, I would recommend Oscar see his veterinarian for an exam and further evaluation. He may need antibiotics or other medications as needed.

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.

That looks most like either a superficial skin infection, or (less likely) some superficial bleeding under the skin - it's hard to tell from the pictures. If it's infection, Misu could need some oral or topical medications, however if it's a bleeding issue that is much more serious. I would recommend taking her to a vet for evaluation as soon as possible to make sure it's not the bleeding issue and to start her on treatment if she has an infection. Good luck and thanks for using Boop by Petco!

For what I can see it looks like a mild bacterial infection. I would talk to your vet about allergies and discuss a food change. You can try topical antiseptic prescription shampoos and that may be effective but you may need to eventually put Oreo a prescription of antibtiocs. It also depends how the rest of the skin looks. Your veterinarian will be able to assess his whole body. There could be other things causing the infection other than a primary skin issue but I would start with the plan above. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the con

It sounds like he has a bacterial skin infection, possibly secondary to allergies. You could bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps but he may need an oral antibiotic, anti-histamine, and a corticosteroid to treat the problem. If it is related to allergies than ask your vet about keeping him on an anti-histamine long term to help with the problem. Controlling the allergies will decrease skin infections.

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

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

It could be local infection, bacterial or fungal. Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian to diagnose and treat any infection. Keep the area clean and dry. Use a protective shirt to prevent excessive scratching.