Please help! Skin rash? scrape?

[HugoMop]

What is this?

I just came home from work and my dog's head looks like this. It was NOT like this last night nor this morning before work. He is trying to itch it. I have an appointment for the morning (next available time) but I want to try and help him now if I can from home?

Do I just use soap and water? Can I put anything else on it?


He's 9 months old.
I've had him two weeks today.
He's on Naturas Balance Potatoes and Duck LID (switched him slowly when we got him)
He's current on all shots / Neutered
He's a little overweight but he is down a few lbs since we got him.
I give him a zyrtec in the the am and pm
I give him half a tums in the am and pm
and he gets filtered water

This is what he normally looks like.

 

[HugoMop]

It's also slightly oozy... and he finally let me put a warm wash cloth on it. He wouldn't let me touch it until now. Kept freaking out when I tried to even hold his head to look at it.

 

[GatorRay]

ooooo...gosh...Gator had that when he had the allergic reaction to pork...it was so bad because it was compounded with a reaction to an antibiotic. Looks like his skin is severely irritated and the rustiness looks like yeast. I would surely get him to the vet but for now, clean with cool water, dry completely, and put something on there like gold bond powder, desitin, corn starch or something to help sooth and protect the skin.

 

[HugoMop]

I have Destin! Was trying to help with his stains. Ugh I feel effing horrible for him. He can't even scratch it with his little t-rex arms, so he goes up to the curtains and shower curtain and just rubs back and forth.

He's been on the food for two weeks so maybe the food? He snatched a croissant from my son yesterday and he also gets his zrytec wrapped in a piece of sliced turkey. So maybe from that? Other wise his diet is the above.

 

[GatorRay]

Not sure what it is from...has he spent extra time outside? I kind of *suspect* that it is actually the new food. Duck can sometimes cause allergy issues the same way chicken does...I would try to make that feel better and make sure there is no infection and then consider switching him to some thing that is grain and poultry free. Try giving his pill in cheese instead of Turkey too.

 

[HugoMop]

Here's two additional ones after a little warm wash...

Can this happen in a span of just 6-7 hours? He was fine this morning... he was licking his nose a lot, as he is now so I'm assuming it was already starting but there was nothing there.

 

[HugoMop]

Yes to the outside play! I feel guilty to leave him in a crate while I work so we spend 2-3 thirty minute breaks at the dog part within our condo. I just started it this week as I was home more often the first week I had him.

I was thinking about switching his food after lurking on here a bit but didn't want to change anything so suddenly. I already had to switch him from his previous food because the owner got it from costco and I didn't have a membership. Back to more homework there I suppose

 

[GatorRay]

Well, Gator got like that in 15 MINUTES from the pork. It can also take a few weeks for a food allergy to show up on a new food. I was thinking it could also be an environmental allergy but most likely that would manifest lower on the face from watery eyes. Just dry it very very well and put a THIN layer of desitin on it. It might soothe the skin until you can get to the vet and figure it out.

I do have to say WELCOME and boy, he is a cutie patootie!

 

[Davidh]

I think would put some Neosporin on it. glad you are taking him to the vet tomorrow. Keep us posted.

 

[SunDog]

Ah, poor muffin. Crazy this showed up so fast. That color does look yeasty. A benydryl instead of the zyrtec might help him sleep tonight. Good luck.

 

[DoughnutsMom]

Poor baby!!! Doughnut had a smaller version of that and I first thought he had bumped his head. It turned out to be his new treats so we discontinued those and used animax to heal it.

 

[HugoMop]

I was going to ask about benydryl!

Yeah, I didn't expect to see this, let alone something so large. He was acting a bit weird with the licking but I figured he was just trying to savor the last of his breakfast. He's passed out next to me right now. I put the destin on it and it was a huge mess, so it's not really a light coating but it's on there and he seems much more relax right now. I'll try and work it better and move it around in a bit.

I'll try the neo next if this doesn't hold him over until the morning.

 

[GatorRay]

Benedryl is a great idea to help with the itchiness. The desitin is just to give his poor skin a break! That is probably why he is so much more relaxed, it might be soothing that poor skin

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

I'm going to tag [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] on this too..her and gatorray know a lot about this stuff...that food..while a very good food...does have potato....might be another cause of yeasty problems. Don't panic..clean like gatorray said..the destine will help with the itch until you can get him to vet..remember..a little desitin goes a long way!

 

[bubbaisapig]

I agree with the desitin. Looks like a hot spot to me. They spread very quickly! Neosporin usually doesn't help much with hot spots. Not sure though...I'm no expert!