Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 12/15/2009

Question
My friend is too poor to pay for a vet, and I am worried about her 12-year-old terrier. The dog is scratching constantly, leaving brown marks, and has lumps over her body, and her mammary glands are swollen. She has tried Frontline with no result. Your help would be much appreciated.

Answer
Itching can be a result of infected skin, which are probably the brown marks they are seeing.  They can try getting an antibiotic like Keflex (which is free at many pharmacies right now with a prescription). That will kill off the skin bacteria.  If these persist, then they will need a vet to look at the skin to see if there is something else that needs to be done.