Rashes can be caused by several different things, but most commonly they are bacterial in nature. Other rashes can be related to allergies, parasites, mange, yeast or even fungal infection. Without being able to physically see your dog, it‘s difficult to say exactly what is causing this, but I can tell you it is most likely either an allergy or skin infection since there is an odor present. Also, lighter colored dogs such as Dalmatians, Westies, Poodles, etc. are more prone to skin problems. Each condition has a different treatment. Because of this, I recommend having him seen by a vet again so they can accurately diagnose the problem. I realize he was just seen for this last summer, but since it’s been a year, they will want to see him again because it could be something different going on now. Since it came back during the same season as when it was present last year, it is probably a seasonal allergy.
If you want to try something first, before seeing the vet, minor bacterial infections can be treated by washing the area using benzyol peroxide. You can try washing the area and make sure to thoroughly rinse the area. You can do this twice daily for a few days to see if it is improving. If it is a more severe rash or cause, the benzoyl peroxide will most likely not solve the problem. If that turns out to be the case, antibiotics will probably be prescribed by the vet and possibly a medicated shampoo. If it is an allergy, it could possibly be a food allergy. But as I mentioned, it sounds more seasonal. There are prescription diets available such as Hill Prescription D/D or Eukanuba F/P (fish and potato.) I hope this information helps and your guy gets this cleared up soon! Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you.
Edited by vetgurl1970 on August 9 2006 at 9:06 PM
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