My puppy has skin spots. What do they look like if they're serious?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very hard to tell from the pictures, however it looks like the spots might be what we call a 'hot spot' or 'pyoderma' due to the yellow debris present. Food allergies are not present at birth, and develop. 7 months is young for the development of food allergies but it is possible. Fungal disease is possible but from the images I suspect a bacterial infection is more likely. Hot Spots present when the fur gets wet, often in the summer months, and the wet fur sits on the skin and the natural bacteria on the skin multiply in the warm moisture patch. The treatment is to shave the area and keep it clean and dry, and usually oral antibiotics are required. E-collars are important to prevent licking and re-infection of the spot. I would recommend a visit to your vet, and if the spot isn't a hot spot you can have them test for fungal/bacterial infection by doing a skin scraping. Best of luck with Bear!

Bear's skin lesion looks most suspicious for a hot spot (acute moist dermatitis), but could be related to ringworm, mange or a skin infection from underlying allergies. You can try carefully using clippers to clip the hair around these lesions, then cleaning them regularly with an antiseptic chlorhexidine solution (this shampoo is one example: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982) and rinse/dry well. If Bear is scratching or rubbing at these lesions at all, be sure to keep an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further skin damage. If these lesions continue or worsen, Bear will need to go to his vet for further evaluation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

If looks like he has a dermatitis which could be from a bacterial infection, fungal infection, or possibly mites. He should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. Your vet may need to do a skin scrape, culture, or cytology to help determine the exact cause. Once diagnosed, the appropriate medication can be prescribed. I don’t think this problem is secondary to the heat. Good luck with your new puppy.

Thank you for your question. From your photo, it appears that Bear has a small skin infection. I recommend cleaning it with warm soapy water. You can carefully trim the hair around the lesion to make it easier to clean. Since you just noticed this, it is hard to say if it is something that has been there and is healing, or if it will get worse. I recommend keeping it clean through the weekend and using a cone or e-collar to keep Bear from licking the area. You can apply a triple antibiotic ointment once or twice a day. If it isn't getting better, you should call your veterinarian on Monday to have it evaluated and see if antibiotics are needed. Make sure you wash your hands after you have touched the wound. I hope this information helps, and that Bear heals quickly.

Those spots on Happy’s back could be many things. If they are raised, more like a tumor, then I would recommend to have him seen by the veterinarian who may collect a small sample of cells to know if it is concerning or not. If they are flat, then you may monitor them at this time to see if they go away on their own. Dogs can get superficial bacterial infections, small wounds, ringworm (which humans can get as well) and other minor ailments that will often heal by themselves. If the spots do not go away within two weeks or if they get worse, then plan on having him seen by the veterinarian. I hope you find this helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, thank you for your question about Bella. Brown/black spots on a puppy's belly could be a sign of a few different conditions. It is possible that this is a bacterial skin infection called impetigo/puppy pyoderma that is relatively common in puppies. Another possible problem is that Bella may actually have some blackheads/irritated skin on her belly. With either of these conditions if the spots are mild and Bella is not bothered by them you could try gently cleaning them with a gentle cleanser decided for us in dogs. If Bella is scratching/rubbing at the spots or there is a colored/odorous discharge I would recommend having Bella seen by your veterinarian so that they can further examine the spots and determine the need for another treatments. Hope this helps, good luck!

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your pup. This looks like papules or a miliary dermatitis. We could see these from a variety of causes ranging from parasites of the skin such as mites, to allergies, to bacterial infection. If the spots aren't going away on their own in a day or two I would recommend an exam at his vet to help determine the cause of the lesions which will guide the treatment.