Skin lesions on dog's face.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thank you for your question and for sending in the excellent photos of your poor dog's skin condition. I've included a couple of them here:





This looks very uncomfortable and really does look like a serious problem.

This definitely isn't a heat rash. I do think that mange is a possibility. This could be something called demodectic mange. There are some types of demodectic mange that are mild and nothing to worry about, but this could be generalized demodectic mange which is a serious problem. Demodectic mange is treatable in most cases but it can be expensive to treat and in some cases it can require lifelong treatment.

Demodectic mange is relatively easy to diagnose. What your vet will likely want to do is something called a skin scraping. They will scrape some cells from the skin and look under the microscope. If it is demodex then it is usually quite easy to see the demodex mites.

Another possibility is that this is a severe yeast infection. If this were my case and if I didn't see demodex on a skin scraping I'd probably be doing a simple test called a scotch tape test where I press a piece of scotch tape against the skin, stain it and look at it under the microscope to see if there is yeast there.

The other possibility is that this is a serious autoimmune condition such as pemphigus or lupus. These skin conditions are usually treatable and can be managed with steroids but the management is lifelong. Hopefully this is not what it is because this is a very serious problem.

It could also possibly be a bad bacterial infection but from the photos this doesn't look like the most likely explanation.

I would definitely recommend a repeat vet visit as soon as possible and be prepared to have some tests done.

I really hope she improves soon!

Dr. Marie.


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