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So we have a 4-year-old Aussie mix who's come down with an odd rash since we last gave her a trim. The rash doesn't match any description of mange exactly, which has caused me to wonder what the best course of action is.

We've seen at least two patches, one on the rump and one on the back of the neck, where the skin is thickening into a yellowed, scaly area, which flakes off and takes the hair with it, revealing dry, but not red, skin underneath. There are also tiny, elongated brown objects in the flakes, which do not move, nor appear to have any discernible anatomy. She had an immune-/mite-related rash (sounding like demodectic mange) around the time she was spayed, and has always had dandruff, but otherwise, there has been nothing of note.

Our other two dogs, a Yorkie and a Yorkie mix, do not seem to be affected, and we don't notice any rashes on ourselves. Other than these two, she does not come into contact with any other dogs.

It doesn't seem likely to be sarcoptic mange, but it also doesn't have the redness of demodectic mange. Could it be something else?

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The inner surface of her ears is also quite red.

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    I have to admit, I can't really see much from the picture. I suspect it's not mange either, but I think at this stage it's best to get her into the vet for a look-see.
    – Joanne C
    Commented Nov 11, 2015 at 15:03
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    I would take her to the vet to get a skin scraping, and then possibly look at diet : what is she eating?
    – Victoria
    Commented Nov 11, 2015 at 20:55
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    Maybe clip a small patch of hair around it do you can observe it and it helps dry it out. My chocolate lab had minor skin stuff his whole life.
    – paparazzo
    Commented Dec 21, 2015 at 22:56

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I thought of a few things:

  1. It could be a bacterial infection on the skin and a hot spot. Bacteria is normal, but sometimes it can get out of control, which can lead to itchiness and things like oozing spots where the fur gets scratched away. A shot from the vet can help with this. One of my dogs has needed a shot more than once for this type of thing. I normally try Sulfodene on the spot first; it will help stop the itching as well as dry up the spot. You can find it at PetCo/Petsmart. Make sure you trim the fur around the spot before you apply because can get stuck in the spot as it dries.
  2. Often food allergies manifest in itching for dogs. Things like flaky skin say that there's something in the diet that your dog is allergic to. My dog is allergic to corn; I switched him to Science Diet and it was non-stop itching and constipation until I switched him to something else. I would try doing a corn-free dog food and see if that helps.
  3. I definitely think that you should take her to the vet, just to make sure there's nothing really serious going on. You mentioned a mite-related rash; I'm not necessarily familiar with those, but if it was me, I would just want to check with the vet about this, especially because you described the brown things.
  4. Also make sure that you're not bathing your dog too often; it can dry out the skin. And, using an oatmeal shampoo is soothing for itchiness.
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