dog's back covered in scabs

[Robin]

I made this same post over at the Homesteading Today forum, which I know some of you read. So sorry if you're reading it twice

anyway

I was brushing one of our dogs (a 6 yr old White Shepherd) today and his back is covered in crumbly brown/black scabs. It looks like dried blood to me, and under the scabs it does look like some minor trauma has occured. His hair is also thin in the areas with the scabs. When I saw the first one I thought maybe he'd been stung by a bee or something, but when I started combing I saw that he had many scabs, and lots of flaky "scab bits" in his coat.

It's only on his back and hips.

I have not noticed him chewing or scratching.

it's not fleas. There are no fleas on him, or eggs. I went over both dogs with a flea comb to be sure, and neither has fleas.

The other dog does not have anything going on with her skin or coat.

Any ideas? I doubt that whatever is going on is contagious, because the other dog is fine and they are together 24/7. I am being extra cautious about sanitizing my hands after handling the dogs now, I don't want to spread anything to the rabbits.

 

[BoxerMom]

A bee sting probably wouldn't scab up like this. How are the mosquitos there? Is it possible they are mosquito bites that she rubbed on the ground or a tree and they scabbed over? About what size are the scabs? It could possibly be seasonal flank alopecia, but I doubt it. Put a call in to your vet and ask.

 

[fuzzy9]

I'm going through something similar with my horses. My one gelding is getting eaten alive by gnats, in his ears. There's lots of dried scabby sores. My other horse is fine, and has nothing. I've seen the gnats, so I know that's what it is.

I couldn't figure out why just him, and my neighbor was down visiting last night, and said this happens with her horses too. The one with the scabby ears is white, and my other horse is black. She said it's because he's white, and it's her white horse that gets it also.

I see in the photo, the dog is white, so I'm just curious if you've noticed any gnat activity around him outside?

Just a thought. My horse is uncomfortable, but he's not itching constantly. I would think anything else, like mites, you would notice the itching on him, and the other dog.

Hope you figure it out!!

 

[Robin]

He already has an appointment with the vet next week, so I'll ask her then. Both of our dogs are white, and only the male has these scabs. I'm thinking it may be an allergy. I've only just noticed it. I should groom them more often, maybe I would have noticed this sooner. To be perfectly honest, I was brushing him out because the dogs have been in the house more than usual because of the heat.

 

[hoodat]

Sounds as though it could be sarcoptic mange to me. There are many OTC remedies on the market but your vet will probably give you a better one than you can buy yourself.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

no-- that is not mange--
BUt-- if bites from other insects, a nice bath with acolloidal oatmeal shampoo will help. A shampoo with d-limolene (citrus) also kills many of the small nasties that like to nibble on our animals. Add a vinegar rinse, and youhelp wipe out bacterial and fungal triggers. If the hair around the scabs is stained red, orange or variation of, then the dog HAS been licking and chewing..

 

[Robin]

I don't believe it's mange either, typically the face, ears and elbows are the first places effected, and he has no problems in any of these places.
Then again, allergies tend to show on the belly and between the toes, and he doesn't have marks there either.

Like I said, he has an appointment with the vet on Friday and we'll just see what her take on it is. It doesn't actually seem to be bothering him.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I don't believe it's mange either, typically the face, ears and elbows are the first places effected, and he has no problems in any of these places.
Then again, allergies tend to show on the belly and between the toes, and he doesn't have marks there either.

Like I said, he has an appointment with the vet on Friday and we'll just see what her take on it is. It doesn't actually seem to be bothering him.

even without seeing fleas, it could be flea bite dermatitis. Fleas do nit "live' on animals, the hop on and off as they need to in order to feed. Connor gets bathed on a real regular schedule, so he seldom comes up withthe same type of issues I had with my first dogs, about half a million years ago!!

 

[akane]

We had a dog with bad flea allergies and he'd break out well before you saw a flea on him. My mom had to use topical flea meds every 3weeks in summer and monthly in winter to make sure not a single flea got on him. He'd start chewing holes in his hips eventually though.