If your dog has any type of skin infection it is necessary to cut his hair short. A long coat will prolong and/or prevent the healing process. The area around the infected skin is usually shaved off also. For most cases of skin infection your vet will give you internal antibiotics and shampoos to use. These shampoos need to have a few minutes contact time to be effective in treating the infection. In some instances, hot spots for example, antibiotics applied directly to the skin also help the healing process. Oral antibiotics need to be continued after all signs of infection are gone, at least two weeks afterwards, your vet will be able to give you instruction on this.

One of the first signs that a dog has a skin problem is scratching and biting. A lot of people take their pet into be checked simply because he's driving them crazy with his incessant scratching and biting. Again the first step in taking care of this problem is with a visit to the vet. Skin infections can have various causes including parasites, bacterial infections, yeast infections and allergies. If you simply try to treat the problem at home you may do more harm than good. Fleas can cause a skin problem known as hot spots, so start when he's a puppy and treat your pet for fleas once a month.