How To Diagnose A Dog Skin Rash

by Banana
(NC)

Reader Question: Causes of Dog Skin Rash

My White German Shepard has a pinkish (might be from loss of hair, skin is pink/spotted), puffy, itchy area at each "corner" of his mouth. He paws at it, so I know its irritating him, I assume itching. He now has the exact same signs on the corners of his eyes closest to his muzzle, he does the same, paws at them, not constantly, but obviously I can tell its irritated.

We have a complete fenced in yard and he has not gotten out or been in contact with anything "new"-to my knowledge.

He is a White male German Shepard, 3 yrs, neutered. We also have 2 other male dogs, have had them all for 3 yrs, w the exclusion of the younger one that is only 2!

I've read to give him a bath in baby shampoo...anyone heard of or tried this??

I have 3 children. I have kept them apart from him :(

Hopefully someone can give me some good advice.

Thanks

Vet Suggestion for Treating a Dog Skin Rash at the Corners of the Mouth and Eyes

Hello,

The list of health problems that could be causing your dog’s symptoms is quite long and includes diseases ranging from the relatively benign (e.g., an allergy) to quite serious (e.g., an autoimmune disorder). I doubt that a bath in baby shampoo is going to have much of an effect, but it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

Making an appointment with your veterinarian is the best way to determine what is going on. If your dog were my patient I would start with a complete history and physical exam followed by a few simple tests including a skin scraping to rule out mange mites, skin cytology to look for yeast or bacterial infections, and a fungal culture for ringworm. A diagnosis is not always possible after these tests, but the results are necessary before deciding whether to start treatment or continue the diagnostic work up.

Best regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM