Dog Health
Dermoid Sinus in Dogs: A Birth Defect Along the Back
See a vet now if a dog with a lump, opening or draining spot along the top of the neck or back has neck…
Pet Health
Plain-English guides to dog and cat skin, coat and wound health, with the sources listed at the end of every guide.
154 articles
Dog Health
Ichthyosis in Dogs: Inherited Scaly Skin
Ichthyosis is a group of inherited conditions in which the outer layer of the skin does not form normally, so the skin builds up…
Dog Health
Alopecia X and Seasonal Flank Alopecia in Dogs
Hair loss without itching can come from hormone disease, so your vet rules that out first. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), an overactive adrenal gland…
Dog Health
Color Dilution Alopecia and Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia in Dogs
Some dogs lose hair only in areas of a certain coat color. In color dilution alopecia, hair thins in blue or fawn areas; in…
Dog Health
Nodular Dermatofibrosis in German Shepherds: Skin Nodules That Point to the Kidneys
Skin signs can point to internal disease, and your vet looks for the cause. Nodular dermatofibrosis is a clear example. The firm skin nodules…
Dog Health
Yeast Skin Infection in Dogs (Malassezia Dermatitis): Signs, Causes and Diagnosis
Malassezia are yeasts that live on healthy dog skin in small numbers. A 2020 review describes them as important skin commensals (normal residents) and…
Dog Health
Superficial Necrolytic Dermatitis in Dogs: When Crusted Paw Pads Point to the Liver
Skin signs can point to internal disease, and your vet looks for the cause. Superficial necrolytic dermatitis is one example. In this condition, sore,…
Dog Health
Eosinophilic Skin Lesions in Dogs: Sudden Muzzle Swelling and Mouth Granulomas
Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell involved in allergic reactions. In dogs they can build up in the skin and mouth and…
Cat Health
Blood Vessel Tumors of the Skin in Dogs and Cats: Hemangioma and Hemangiosarcoma
Some skin lumps in dogs and cats grow from blood vessels. A hemangioma is a benign (non-cancerous) growth of this kind, while a hemangiosarcoma…
Cat Health
Fragile, Stretchy Skin in Dogs and Cats: Cutaneous Asthenia (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)
Cutaneous asthenia, also called dermatosparaxis or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders. Affected animals have fragile skin that stretches…
Dog Health
Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Dogs: Lumps Under the Skin That Need a Biopsy
Soft tissue sarcomas are a group of malignant tumors that start in the body's connective tissues. A 2026 consensus report from a veterinary oncology…
Cat Health
Skin Melanoma in Dogs and Cats: Dark Lumps, Toes, Lips and Ears
A melanoma is a tumor that grows from melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment in the skin [1]. In dogs and cats these tumors…
Cat Health
Photosensitization in Dogs and Cats: When Sunlight Harms the Skin
Photosensitization is a condition in which a pet's skin overreacts to light because a light-sensitive substance has built up in it. It can look…
Cat Health
Skin Lymphoma in Dogs and Cats: Signs, Diagnosis and What to Expect
Cutaneous (skin) lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, that settles in the skin. In dogs it is a…
Dog Health
Sebaceous Adenitis in Dogs: Signs, Breeds, Diagnosis and Outlook
Sebaceous adenitis is an uncommon, immune-related skin disease of dogs in which an inflammatory reaction gradually destroys the sebaceous glands, the oil glands of…
Dog Health
Dermatomyositis in Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs: Signs, Diagnosis and Outlook
Dermatomyositis is a disease that inflames both the skin and the muscles, and it is seen almost only in Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs. Researchers…
Cat Health
Footpad Problems in Cats: Swollen, Ulcerated and Crusted Paw Pads
A cat's footpads are skin too, and several diseases can make them swell, ulcerate, bleed or crust. This guide covers the footpad problems that…
Cat Health
Nail and Nail-Bed Problems in Dogs and Cats: Infections, Claw Loss and Toe Tumors
Claws grow from the skin at the end of each toe, so infections, immune diseases and tumors of the skin can reach the claw…
Cat Health
Hair Loss in Cats: Bald Patches, Thinning Fur and What They Can Mean
Hair loss (alopecia) is something you see, not a disease in itself. Hair grows in cycles of growth, rest and shedding, and anything that…
Cat Health
Fly and Mosquito Bites on Dogs and Cats: Sore Ear Tips, Mosquito Bite Allergy and When to See Your Vet
Mosquitoes and several kinds of biting flies, among them stable flies, black flies, biting midges and sand flies, feed on blood. Their bites irritate…
Cat Health
Cowpox (Catpox) in Cats: Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment and the Risk to People
Cowpox is a pox virus infection that cats pick up from small rodents, not from cows. The name is a leftover from history. [1]…
Cat Health
Parasitic Worms of the Skin in Dogs and Cats: Guinea Worm, Pelodera Dermatitis and Hookworm Skin Rash
Most worms that infect pets live in the gut, but a few end up in the skin. This guide covers three of them: the…
Cat Health
Warts on Dogs and Cats: Papillomas, What They Look Like and When to See the Vet
Warts (papillomas) are caused by papillomaviruses. In dogs they are very common, and many probably come and go without the owner ever noticing. [1]…
Cat Health
Pyoderma in Cats: Bacterial Skin Infections, Their Triggers and Treatment
Pyoderma means a bacterial infection of the skin. In cats it is usually not a disease on its own: something else, such as an…
Cat Health
Lumps and Bumps on Cats: Skin Tumors, Injection-Site Lumps and When to Worry
Lumps in and under the skin are among the growths vets see most often in cats. In a national survey of feline tumors in…
Cat Health
Mange in Cats: Feline Scabies, Demodex and Other Skin Mites
"Mange" is a loose name for skin disease caused by tiny mites. Several kinds can live on or in a cat's skin, and they…
Dog Health
Porcupine Quills in Dogs: What to Do and What Not to Do
A run-in with a porcupine leaves a dog with a face full of barbed quills. Cornell's veterinary college says to take your dog to…
Cat Health
Pemphigus Foliaceus in Dogs and Cats: The Autoimmune Crusting Disease
Crusts and pustules on a pet's skin are sometimes caused by the pet's own immune system. Pemphigus foliaceus is an autoimmune skin disease, and…
Dog Health
Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies) in Dogs: Signs, Diagnosis and Can People Catch It?
Sarcoptic mange, also called canine scabies, is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var canis. It is one of the itchiest skin diseases a…
Cat Health
Maggots and Warbles in Dogs and Cats: Fly Strike and Cuterebra Explained
Finding maggots in a pet's wound, or a swelling with a small hole in it, is upsetting. Both are caused by fly larvae, and…
Cat Health
Lice on Dogs and Cats: Signs, Nits and How Vets Treat Them
Lice are small, flightless insects that live in the hair of animals. They are uncommon in dogs and cats, but when a pet does…
Dog Health
Dark, Thickened Skin Patches on Dogs (Hyperpigmentation): What They Mean
Some dogs develop patches of skin that turn brown or black and feel thick and rough, often in the armpits, the groin or on…
Dog Health
Elbow Hygroma in Dogs: The Soft Swelling on a Pressure Point
If your large dog has a soft, squishy swelling on the point of the elbow, it may be a hygroma. It forms when the…
Dog Health
Dry, Crusty Nose in Dogs: Causes Vets Look For
This guide is about a nose that becomes crusty, cracked, lighter in color, red or sore: a skin problem worth showing to your vet.…
Dog Health
Hives and Facial Swelling in Dogs: Causes, What to Do and When It Is an Emergency
Your dog was fine an hour ago, and now there are raised bumps all over the coat, or the muzzle and eyes look puffy.…
Cat Health
Ticks on Dogs and Cats: Finding, Removing and Watching the Bite Site
Finding a tick on your dog or cat is unpleasant, but knowing what to do makes it easier. Ticks are small parasites that feed…
Cat Health
Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex in Cats: Lip Ulcers, Plaques and Lumps Explained
A raw-looking sore on your cat's lip, a red, raised itchy patch on the belly, or a firm swelling on the chin can all…
Cat Health
Cat Chin Acne: Blackheads, Bumps and Crusts on Your Cat’s Chin
If you have noticed tiny black specks on your cat's chin that look like dirt but do not brush off, your cat may have…
Dog Health
Lick Granuloma in Dogs: Why Some Dogs Lick One Spot Raw
Some dogs lick the same spot on a leg over and over until the hair is gone and the skin turns into a raised,…
Dog Health
Dog Scooting and Anal Gland Problems: Causes, Signs and When to See Your Vet
A dog dragging their bottom across the carpet can look funny, but scooting usually means something back there is uncomfortable. One of the most…
Cat Health
Cat Ear Problems: Ear Mites, Ear Infections and When to See Your Vet
If your cat keeps scratching at their ears, shaking their head, or you notice dark debris or a smell from the ear, something is…
Dog Health
Dog Eye Discharge and Red Eyes: Common Causes and When It Is an Emergency
A bit of crust in the corner of the eye after a nap is common. Thick yellow or green discharge, a red eye, squinting…
Dog Health
Hair Loss in Dogs: Bald Patches, Thinning Coats and What They Can Mean
A bald patch on your dog's leg, a coat that slowly thins over the back, or fur that just does not grow back after…
Dog Health
Dog Dandruff and Dry, Flaky Skin: Common Causes and When to See Your Vet
White flakes on a dark coat, scale on the bedding, or skin that feels rough or greasy under the fur: dandruff is common in…
Dog Health
Seasonal Allergies in Dogs: Why the Itch Comes Back Every Spring or Summer
Some dogs are fine for most of the year, then start licking their paws, rubbing their face and scratching at the same time every…
Dog Health
Lumps and Bumps on Dogs: Which Are Harmless and When to Worry
You are scratching your dog's chest and your fingers find something new: a soft lump under the skin, a small raised bump, or a…
Cat Health
Ringworm in Dogs and Cats: Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment and Protecting Your Family
Despite the name, ringworm has nothing to do with worms. It is an infection of the skin, hair or claws caused by a type…
Dog Health
Dog Paw Problems: Licking, Red Paws, Bumps Between the Toes and Pad Injuries
Your dog's paws do a lot of work. They hit hot pavement, cold salted sidewalks, long grass and rough trails, and they are also…
Cat Health
Itchy Cat or Overgrooming? Common Causes and What Your Vet Will Check
Cats are private about itching. Instead of scratching where you can see it, many simply groom more: licking their belly bald, pulling out fur…
Dog Health
Ear Infections in Dogs: Signs, Causes, Treatment and Safe Ear Cleaning
If your dog keeps shaking their head, scratching at one ear, or you notice a sour smell when they snuggle up, an ear infection…
Dog Health
Why Is My Dog So Itchy? The Most Common Causes and What Your Vet Will Check
Every dog scratches now and then. But when the scratching keeps you up at night, when your dog chews their paws raw or rubs…
Dog Health
Minor Wound Care for Dogs and Cats: What to Do at Home and When to See the Vet
A scrape from a fence, a nicked paw pad on a walk, a scratch from a playmate. Small wounds happen to every active pet.…
Dog Health
Pyoderma in Dogs: A Plain-English Guide to Bacterial Skin Infections
Little red bumps on the belly. Round, crusty rings on the back. A patchy, "moth-eaten" coat. If your vet has said the word pyoderma,…
Dog Health
Hot Spots on Dogs: What They Are, Why They Happen, and When to See Your Vet
You brush your dog in the morning and everything looks normal. By evening there is a wet, red, angry patch on their neck, the…