Why is my dog walking gingerly with a black spot on her bottom?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is unlikely to be something of concern and most likely represents a region of pigmentation. However, I recommend you keep a close eye on it and if at some point it appears to become a mass, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without being able to examine him. This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

I would be most concerned for a lick granuloma although it is difficult to tell from pictures. These can be related to arthritic pain, boredom, compulsive disorders and allergies, among other causes. The treatment depends somewhat on what the vet suspects the cause is- but may include diet changes, pain medicine, antibiotics if it appears infected and/or behavioral modification. If your vet does not think it looks like a granuloma in person they may recommend a biopsy! I hope this helps and Mercedes is back to normal soon!

Thanks for using PetCoach! If the area is flat and has looked like this the whole time, a scar is very possible. Could be that she had some initial injury (poke with a stick, etc) and it has since healed but the skin still bothers her. It could also be a place that bothers her occasionally due to pain (if she has arthritis right there or some other injury that flares up occasionally). Finally, infection and other things are possible. As a first step, try a spray like this: It has a numbing agent for pain as well as anti-bacterial properties. This will not help if it is a scar. If it is raised/lump like, its time to head straight to the vet to make sure it doesn't look suspicious for something more serious. This also holds if the area gets bigger or if more areas like this show up elsewhere. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Lucy!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures Mills’s paw looks normal and the black area looks like pigment changes which is not abnormal. If you are concerned, a vet can biopsy the area to confirm but you can just continue to monitor at this time. Good luck and kisses to Milli!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be bruising secondary to some traumatic event like blunt trauma. This could also be an allergic reaction to something Dewey had contact with. I recommend that you continue to monitor him for now. If the area becomes worse or fails to improve on its own, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

It could be that your dog has injured herself, could have an infection, or it could be a growth of some sort (benign or malignant) causing this red spot on her bottom. Unfortunately without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain. I would have her checked out by a vet this week for this problem. The vet can diagnose what is causing the red spot, and can treat her for it. Good luck, I hope this helps!