Bald itchy spots on a dog.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thank you for sending me these photos:



I've zoomed in on this one:



This is a tough call to make over the internet as there are several possibilities here. It's possible that these are just nothing to worry about at all. If they don't seem to be itchy then I'd keep an eye on them and they may just get better on their own.

However, you mentioned that he is rubbing his back on objects at home. If you think that he is trying to scratch these spots then it means that there may be something going on that we need to treat. My first thought is that these are small areas of localized infection. The most common cause would be a staph infection. This is most common in dogs that have gone swimming, but you can see it on any dog, even if they are not swimmers. If this is a staph infection then he will likely need antibiotics either in pill form or by injection from the vet. It's not something that you need to urgently rush in for and likely you are ok to wait until next week unless they seem to be getting dramatically worse.

There are some less common possibilities such as ringworm or other fungal infections but I think that these would be unlikely.

A topical cream like neosporin or polysporin could possibly help take some of the itch away but usually these creams are not strong enough to cure a bacterial infection. I think if this were my dog I would do nothing for now other than keep an eye on the spots and then if they are getting bothersome...or, if they have not gone away in a few days then I would have the vet check him out.

Hope that helps!

Dr. Marie


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