My dog has a bald spot with a dark scab and ring. Is it ringworm?

From the pictures, it doesn't look like a typical ringworm lesion but I can't rule it out without seeing August in person. It could be a skin infection or from an injury. It should be checked out by a vet, but it's not an emergency. If you can get her into a vet this weekend great, but it's fine to wait until Monday. I'd leave the spot alone for now and don't put anything on it since you do not know what is causing it. I hope this helps!

This could be due to a bacterial or fungal infection. They can both look like this. It could also be due to something that is irritating the skin like mites, fleas, or allergies. It does not appear like ringworm, but it's impossible to know for sure without testing it. The species of fungus involved in toenail infections is different than ringworm and toenail fungus is not very contagious to dogs. This looks rather mild right now. The best thing to do is have the lesion evaluated by a veterinarian to help identify the cause. However, it would be fine to give a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (can find this at the pet store) in the meantime. If that's helpful, this can be repeated weekly until the problem resolves. I hope that helps and Lu gets better soon.

Hello there. Thank you for using PetCoach and thank you for including photos. My best guess is that this is ringworm. It does not look like a bite. I suggest you get Molekin' to your vet for an exam and to get a proper diagnosis for two reasons. Number one, ringworm is contagious to people and number two, an adult dog that gets ringworm usually has an underlying problem with their immune system. An adult dog should not get it. This is much more common in puppies. Remember, it is impossible for me to diagnose over the internet with just a photo. I am just giving my best guess. Many skin diseases look similar to the naked eye so that is why testing is important. Here is a link to an article about ringworm: ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/ringworm-in-dogs/ ) If you wanted to try something at home first you can buy over the counter athletes foot cream which is an antifungal and apply that twice daily. It may take 2+ months for it to clear completely up but you should start noticing a difference in a .couple weeks. If you don't have any improvement in 2 weeks or it worsens then you definitely need to get him to the vet. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching this spot just in case it is ringworm, you don't want to get it! ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lamisil-Cream-0-42-Oz/10294288 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. This does, however look like a bacterial infection, Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications such as antibiotics and possibly an antibiotic/antifungal shampoo.

Skin lesions like this can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend making an appointment to have Archer seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesion you’ve noticed and to make sure it is treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can put an e-collar (cone) on him to help reduce the risk of scratching/licking at the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesion.

There could be several causes for this hairless area. Toothless could have picked up a skin might or an allergy. Sometimes pets can develop what’s called an acral lick and it can also look like this. Ringworm, which humans can get, or a bacterial infection all also look like this. At home you may continue to put ointment on it and prevent him from licking the area by having him wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. If it is not improving within one week, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching (if any). 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.