My dog has black dots, red spots, pimples on his belly. What are they?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based off the picture, these dark black spots on Honey's abdomen appear to be comedones, which are basically clogged pores that fill with oil and skin debris. There are clinically insignificant, and shouldn't cause her any issues. If she doesn't seem bothered by them, she should be just fine! If she seems to want to lick or cause irritation to the area, she may have another confounding skin issue such as a superficial infection. I hope this is helpful!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From what you are describing these sound like comedones, or clogged pores. A comedone is similar to a pimple, in that it is a collection of oily material in a pore. It is black because of exposure to oxygen and accumulation of debris. Comedones may be a sign of a skin issue such as mites, or over-secretion of oils, but they can also be signs of an underlying hormonal disease such as Cushing's disease. As long as they are not irritating to your dog, there is no need to try to get rid of them. Comedones may be reduced by use of benzoyl peroxide shampoos, which have “follicular flushing action,” the ability to go down inside pores and hair follicles and remove foreign material. I recommend contacting your regular veterinarian who may recommend a medicated shampoo, and/or may recommend that your dog be seen for an exam and bloodwork to evaluate for any underlying diseases that may be related to his/her comedones. I hope this is helpful!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the pictures, these appear to be comedones, or clogged pores. As long as Sasha is not bothered by them, there is no need to do anything about them. I hope this is helpful!

Hi and thanks for posting! Thank you for sending along a picture as well. From your picture, it looks to me like comedones or otherwise known as blackheads which occur when the hair follicle becomes clogged. Usually these can be treated with certain medicated shampoos that contain benzoyl peroxide in them to help flush out the follicle. Be sure to purchase these shampoos from your veterinarian as dogs can be especially sensitive to human shampoos and other human hygiene products. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is always very hard to make diagnosis by looking at pictures. I suspect that the black dots are small wounds from insect bites or self-inflicted trauma, if Happy has been licking and biting herself excessively. Please, use a soothing oatmeal dog shampoo for Happy and 2-3 days later apply a good quality flea product. If that doesn't help, you should take her to your local vets to check her over.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! They are likely comedones which are like black heads. They likely won't cause any harm in a puppy. If they have appeared suddenly you can try a medicated shampoo. Bathe 2-3 times per week and let the lather sit on the belly for 10 mins before rinsing. I am sure Barley will be seeing your Vet again soon for puppy shots, have them take a look as well. I've attached a shampoo link. I hope this helps and I wish you and Barley the best! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21564