Dog Skin Problems

I have a Miniature Pinscher that is almost two years old. Over the last few days I have noticed that she has been acting weird.

Scratching, and licking may be signs of some sort of skin problem.

First of all, she appears to have hurt her back right leg. She is continually licking that foot, as well as the others, which is unusual for her. Also, she has really dry and flaky skin with some irritated spots. She also has two kind of white looking bumps at the top of her nose. When she lays down she also begins to shake. Her eating and bowel movements have been pretty normal. I was just wondering about her.

~~Kharrell

Expert Reply

Hi Kharrell,

Sounds like your dog as some sort of skin infection going on. Do her feet look red and/or puffy? It's possible to pick up a yeast infection on the feet, which could explain the licking. The bumps on her nose might also indicate a case of Pyoderma.

Fleas have been a big problem across the country this year and once a dog begins to scratch, the skin can be open to secondary infections.

The shaking when she lays down doesn't concern me as much, but you never know. My own dogs sometimes shiver a bit when they are sleeping, and it's usually just because the room is cool.

All in all, it's definitely time to take your Min Pin to the vet. A thorough examination will reveal the cause of the skin problems and your vet can prescribe something to clear it up to stop the irritation.

Thanks for your question~~ Kelly

I have a Chow/German Shepherd mix dog that is about seven years old. I just recently boarded her at our local vet for two nights and she has been boarded there before without a problem.

Since we picked her up, she has done nothing but scratch herself all over. I have looked her over, but I have not seen any fleas.

Is there anything else I should do or check for? I was thinking about just going and getting her groomed again, but will that help?

Thank you so much, Andrea

Expert Reply

Hi Andrea,

Sorry to hear your dog is so uncomfortable.

Fleas can be quite sneaky and hard to detect. If your dog happens to be allergic to flea saliva, then one bite can cause as many problems as ten. Let's not rule these critters out just yet.

The fact that you haven't found fleas makes me wonder if we're dealing with parasites that can't be seen. Mites are microscopic; they can get under the skin where they crawl around and drive a dog crazy with the itching.

I don't want to speculate too much on which type of mites your dog might have, but I'd suggest a trip to the vet before going to the groomer. Mites can spread from one animal to the next, so we don't want to take a chance of exposing other dogs until we're sure what you're dealing with.

Your vet can perform a thorough examination on your pet and take a skin scraping to check for mites. He/She will also check for ear mites. Whatever the culprit, your vet will then know how to pursue treatment to stop the itching.

If your pet is diagnosed with some sort of infestation, I think it would be prudent to make the boarding facility aware of the situation.

Hope this advice is helpful~~ Kelly

I have two Miniature Pinschers that both seem to have skin problems. The male is two years old, and his skin has a lot of dryness that looks like dandruff. He is also shedding so badly his coat looks like it's turning white, but he's a supposed to be a chocolate.

He scratches himself, but I do most of it because I feel so bad for him. We have opened up vitamin E pills and rubbed his coat with the oil, but it hasn't helped. We took him to a vet who has since retired, and he put our dog on prednisone. That didn't seem to help either.

I also have a female chocolate Miniature Pinscher who is two years old and has the same dandruff, but also has tiny lumps that get scabs. The lumps are still there after the scabs fall off.

Please help. We are on a fixed income since my husband has retired, and I was hoping you could help with an over-the-counter cure.

Thank-you,

Lou Ann Mittelstadt

Expert Reply

Hello Lou Ann,

I'm so sorry to hear of your dogs' plight.

Since both dogs have skin problems, my first thought was something contagious, but you described lumps on the female that the male doesn't have.

Prednisone usually helps calm itching caused by an allergic reaction, but you said it didn't seem to have any affect on your male. His discomfort must be very intense, but I recommend you stop scratching him yourself. Scratching can lead to secondary skin infections that will only make the situation worse.

There's no substitute for veterinary care, and it sounds like your dogs truly need to see another vet. They could have skin allergies, food allergies, a skin disease or a combination of problems. There's simply no way to know how to treat them without an accurate diagnosis.

Some vets will work out a payment plan with senior citizens who are on a fixed income. All you can do is explain your situation to a new vet and see what he/she is willing to work out.

I'm sorry I couldn't give you a more concrete answer, but I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending a treatment. You really need a professional veterinarian in this case.

~~Kelly

I am looking after a wire haired Brussels Griffon, and I just noticed she has a nickel-sized bump a little to the left above her tail. After combing the hair backward, I saw that she's got some brownish crusting on top of the spot.

I tried to gently dislodge the crusting to see what is at the source. Is there something I can use to soften and remove the crust to see what is underneath?

~~ Cathy

Expert Reply

Hi Kathy,

It sounds like she may be developing a hot spot. They're caused when a dog bites at a source of irritation and breaks the skin. The skin is then open to secondary bacterial infections that can cause oozing at the site.

You can try loosening the crust with a small amount of baby oil. Just lightly rub in a few drops and give it a couple of days to work its way in. Then you may be able to bathe away the crust with a warm wet cloth. You want to be careful that you don't cause more bleeding or irritation at the site. This would cause the dog to begin working at the wound again.

If the site oozes pus, you should have it looked at by the vet to determine what has caused the original problem, and if antibiotics will be required to clear up an infection.

Hopefully, the sore isn't a serious one. Thanks for your question.

~~ Kelly

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