skin rashes, patches, and sores

Unhappy skin on cats and dogs can be caused by allergies, infections, parasites, and more.

Patchy coats, weird skin colors or textures, and raw or crusty sores can indicate systemic pet health problems that need the help of your veterinary team.

What to know if your pet has hot spots, raw skin, or bald patches

Unfortunately, many skin conditions can’t resolve without veterinary help. Don’t wait — many skin conditions can lead to other health problems and become more complex to treat over time.

Rashes and sores can be a sign of infection, inflammation, allergies, and more

Many different skin ailments can lead to rashy redness and swelling, often paired with patchy coats. Look for thickened skin, bald areas, and pustules that leak fluids or turn into open sores.

Atopy
Atopy, or skin allergy, is a reaction to allergens in food, air, or environments. Anything from pollen to mold to food ingredients (and more) can cause atopy. The condition is also itchy, which can cause pets to scratch, damage their skin, and develop skin infections.

Pyoderma
Pyoderma is a skin infection and is often caused by bacteria or yeast. You may see closed or oozing pimples, pustules, crusty scabs, or sores, and your pet may develop a new and unpleasant smell.

Infections like pyoderma can rapidly lead to other health issues if not treated quickly, so please see your veterinary team for help.

Dermatitis
Dermatitis, or skin inflammation, is a common companion to other issues like allergies and infection. Symptoms include raw and irritated skin as well as unusual amounts of flaky or greasy dandruff.

Skin inflammation can be extremely itchy, so pets may further compromise their skin by scratching and get a secondary infection.

Seborrhea
Seborrhea is a chronic condition that causes your pet’s skin to produce abnormal amounts of natural skin oils, leading to raw and rashy skin and clumps of wet dandruff. Your pet may also develop bumps or pustules and patches of hairless skin.

Like many skin ailments, seborrhea can compromise the skin and lead your pet to develop other infections, so please see your vet.

Itchiness from flea and tick bites can lead to scratching and sores

Flea bites can be famously itchy. Some pets even develop a flea allergy, which can cause nearly unbearable itchiness from even a single flea bite. Inflammation from tick bites can also cause your pet to scratch, causing reddened skin, bald spots, and open sores that can become infected. 

You can help your pet with regular flea and tick control. Ask your veterinary team what they recommend for your pet’s age, breed, and lifestyle.

Mange causes lumpy, reddened skin, plus skin sores and patchiness

Despite the term “mangy dog,” mange can affect both cats and dogs. This condition, caused by microscopic mites, causes pets to develop large bald patches — sometimes over almost their entire body — and red, lumpy, oozing patches of skin. 

Mange may be a sign that a pet has other health issues, like a poor diet or a depressed immune system, that need veterinary care and support to help your pet.

Demodectic mange
Demodectic mange is caused by an overgrowth of tiny skin mites that normally live on your pet’s skin. Your vet will need to prescribe specialty medications and a series of follow-up visits to check your pet’s progress.

Sarcoptic mange
Sarcoptic mange (scabies) is caused by a microscopic mite that causes brutal and unrelenting itchiness. It’s not uncommon for pets to scratch large bald patches in their fur and develop bacterial infections on their skin that also need to be treated by your vet.

Ringworm isn’t a worm, but a skin fungus that can infect pets and people

Ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a fungal infection named for a round, red-rimmed rash that may show up on skin when a person or pet is infected. Ringworm on pets can also cause raised reddened areas, hair loss, and skin crustiness.

Ringworm is highly contagious to both pets and people. If your pet is diagnosed, make sure to practice good personal and pet hygiene. Follow all instructions on your pet’s prescriptions, thoroughly wash all pet bedding, and seek out a human doctor if you think any human member of your family may be infected.

Acral lick dermatitis is caused by excessive pet licking or chewing

Lick granulomas (acral lick dermatitis) are red, raised, raw patches of skin caused by your pet licking and chewing at their skin. Dogs sometimes cause lick granulomas as a sign of stress or boredom, or from trying to scratch itchy inflammation from allergies, injuries, or fleas.

Decoding the cause and helping to treat your pet’s lick granuloma can take a fair amount of teamwork with your veterinary team. It’s important to treat underlying causes — you want to try catch acral lick behavior as early as possible to help avoid it becoming a habit.

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