My beagle has had dirt spots for months. Why are they now red?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Rillie has some irritation and discoloration of the fur. The discoloration is from chronic licking, and saliva contains enzymes in it that cause the fur to change color. The areas she has been licking are typically areas that flare up in cases of allergies - these can be to something in the environment such as mold or dust, or certain proteins in food. While the itching is not comfortable, the chronic clicking causes destruction of the skin barrier and this predisposes Rillie to bacterial and/or fungal skin infections. Your vet can determine if an infection is present and perform bloodwork to rule in/out specific allergens. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Murphy. Allergies are common causes of skin disease this time of year. Humans inhale environmental allergens such as grasses, weeds, pollens and molds. This results in watery eyes and a runny nose. Dogs can experience this, but they walk through and lay in the grass. Therefore, red and possibly itchy skin tends to occur on the belly and paws. Dog can also develop red spots from insect bites. Rarely a bleeding disorder can occur. In this case, small area of bruising are seen on the dog. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. He will be examined and detailed questions asked regarding his lifestyle and diet. Testing may be recommended. Based on these results treatment can be started if necessary. If he is acting ill or the spots look like bruising (your pictures are a but blurry), then he needs to see an emergency veterinarian today. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for the pictures. By looking at them, there seems to be a different look to some of them. The one on the nose appears raised, and has me concerned that it is skin mass. It could just be the picture angle... Hairloss in dogs is usually related to mites, or allergies. I would recommend taking Parker into a veterinarian. They can see if the lesions are related to each other. They will also do some diagnostics such as a skin scrape to check for mites, skin cytology to check for secondary infections and possibly a fungal culture. If the nose lesion is actually a mass, they will most likely do a cytology (stick a needle in it, push cells on a slide, stain slide and look at them under a microscope). If it turns out to be allergies, please realize that allergies (just like humans) can't be cured, only controlled. It may take a few different treatments to get them under control. Hope Parker feels better soon! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It is very difficult to tell from a photo exactly what is going on here. I am concerned if these areas could be bleeding under the skin. From the photos the areas don't appear raised which is why I am concerned they could be this type of bruisng, also called ecchymosis. If you press your finger onto the area and remove it, and there is not a white spot, then this is a sign this is ecchymosis and your dog should be seen right away because it could have a bleeding disorder. If you press against the red area and when you remove your finger it blanches (turns white) and then turns red again, then it is less concerning in terms of the urgency of being seen and is more likely an actual skin issue. If the area is raised or crusted then this could be inflammation due to infection with bacteria or yeast. We can have immune system over-reactions that can result in red inflammed areas of skin. We can also in more rare cases see cancers that can affect the skin. A vet can examine the skin and determine what testing may be indicated- this could include cytology of the skin, culture of the skin, biopsy, or bloodwork depending on their exam findings. Best of luck to you.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to see the skin in your pictures but it looks like a rash or comedones. If the reddish black things on her skin flakes off or are loose, wet them on a white tissue. If they melt away to a red streak that is flea poop. Flea dips and shampoos are NOT preventatives for fleas and the fleas that hatch on the carpet will jump right back on the pet. Fleas do not lay eggs on the pet but on the carpet. Bed bugs do not live on animals. I recommend a flea preventative like oral Nexgard, Simparica, Bravecto or topical Advantix ii or the Seresto collar. If there are no live fleas or flea dirt then she likely has a secondary skin infection or rash from an allergic reaction the the fleas. I would have her seen by your Vet so she can be provided relief. Also it looks like she has a paw infection which could be from environmental or food allergies. Good luck!