Raised scabs on Cairn Terriers face for years, please help

My dog has had these scabs around her mouth for years, she’s been to the vet a few times but they could never identify what it was so i gave up and started trying things at home. Nothing has made it better, just slowed its progression. Recently things took a turn and it started to slowly spread across more of her face. On one side yesterday, she rubbed the scabs off leaving her skin sensitive and raw. i immediately gave her a bath with an antiseptic and anti fungal shampoo and applied ointment to it and the scabs. I’m honestly just at a loss and in much distress. I’m trying to get her to the vet again but i have no money right now. She’s 16 years old. Please someone help me figure out what this is and how to treat it. This was the best picture i could get as she’s very active and wont sit still.

Hello; and thank you for including the picture.   Has your vet been able to carry out any tests?  There may be many possibilities ranging from cancer to Ringworm (often secondary to some other underlying illness) to primary eye disease.  Because Ringworm may be on the list and can spread to people (more so if you are immunocompromised i.e. very old, very young or ill), please don't touch it; you will need to ask for information about assessing it and protecting yourself.  There may be some charity organisations that may be able to offer limited help - your vets will normally have some idea of what is available in your area.  Depending on finances and the overall state of health of your dog, the main priority here may not be to diagnose (put a name to) the problem.  I can only see a small part of the patient but a vet could triage (perform an initial quick check) to see what the broad options are.  Good questions may include, 'Is the welfare of my dog OK at the moment?' and 'What welfare-friendly options are available here given the finances available?'  I hope that this helps to some extent.

It concerns me that there may be more going on than a simple skin lesion here and that underlying issues may exist too large or severe to be easily treated.  However I would stress that it is important to seek to understand what is going on from a vet who can se the whole patient, in order that the most appropriate steps can be taken, whatever they turn out to be. We would recommend making your vet that aware of your financial concerns from the outset, and ask them to point you to the best option they can.  Wishing you are your girl the very best from here.

Her overall health is fairly good for her age and breed. She has some arthritis issues but that’s about it, we don’t believe it’s ring worm since she’s had it for years and i’ve come in contact with it daily and never had any complications. As for testing i’m not sure what has been done due to the fact that she was originally a family member’s dog and they were taking her. I’m definitely still looking into a vet visit but no vets around me have payment plans or anything for low income that i qualify for (to put it short i’m actually too broke to qualify) And since i’ve never personally taken her to a vet there’s a first time patient fee on top of the bill. She’s overall healthy and very very active and she gets lots of outside time. it doesn’t seem to hurt her unless the scab gets pulled off but i know it’s very very uncomfortable and itchy. I am still using ointments and such daily to keep it tame and hopefully provide extra comfort until i can get an answer and or solution.

It sounds difficult not to be able to access healthcare for your pet so please accept a virtual hug on our behalf.  I have never worked at a vets that applies a first time fees for patients but money is something you could ask about when you book (it is worth calling a few practises and asking for typical fees - not just of consultations, but also of medications and whether it might work out cheaper to ask vets for a prescription).  If you know who used to own your dog, a few phone-calls may grant access to the previous clinical notes, which might save your new vet time and work in figuring things out.  As things stand at the moment, a low income is common and very relatable.  Local vets may be able to give you some idea of which practises offer the best value; in the UK there are some charities who might be able to help - I have certainly never heard of them turning people down because they are too broke, although there may be stiff criteria as to which pets they can help.  Here is an article that addresses the subject of vet fees, just in case it mentions anything you might not already be doing.  Other than that, I would always recommend being honest with vets from the outset about financial limitations because this way, they will try to offer things appropriate to the context of your finances and start with the plans that will make the most difference given these limitations.  I hope that something in all of this might help a little.         https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2024/11/29/why-do-vets-consultation-prices-vary-so-much-in-2024/#google_vignette