My dog has black dots, hair loss on belly, and itchy ears. Why?

Hi there. Many things could be causing it. It could have been a good scratch, or it could be early signs of a mite infection called demodex. If it spreads or doesn’t seem to be improving then I would recommend having him examined by your veterinarian. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further chewing. Have her physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. If she has a skin infection systemic and/or topical antibiotics may be necessary. Continue to treat for fleas with a monthly oral or topical preventative. Do this for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. If you have multiple pets, ALL the pets should be treated. You will need to treat the environment as well. This includes vacuuming everywhere then disposing of the bag or emptying the canister outdoors immediately afterwards. Wash all bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric then dry in a dryer. Use an area treatment, such as Indorex or Knockout ES, to prevent re-infestation.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

This redness indicates inflammation and is usually itchy. This is often due to one of two conditions. 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check her for fleas and get treatment if needed. This pattern is more suspicious of mange, which is a mite infestation. A veterinarian can check for these mites and prescribe treatment. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. Below is a link with more helpful advice for relieving the itch. https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking her to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the best treatment.

This could be a symptom of many things. The black spots are comedones (like clogged pores). The hair loss appears to be from a flea allergy but could also be hormonal. I suggest the following: 1. Flea medication if you have not already been applying some to her. I would suggest this one that you apply EVERY month. ( https://www.amazon.in/Vivaldis-Pipette-Treatment-Chewing-Infestation/dp/B01FARX7LQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=MQG9HJO22351&keywords=dog+flea+medicine&qid=1560240040&s=gateway&sprefix=dog+flea%2Caps%2C295&sr=8-3 ) 2. Wash her in this medicated shampoo that contains benzoyl peroxide. Lather it, let it set on her for 10 minutes and then rinse. Do this every 3-4 days. This should help with the comedones. ( https://www.amazon.in/LOVERS-Skin-Petben-Shampoo-200ml/dp/B06W2L3LWT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LH0SMRI72FEU&keywords=benzoyl+peroxide+shampoo+for+dogs&qid=1560240266&s=gateway&sprefix=dog+shampoo+benzoyl%2Caps%2C385&sr=8-1 ) 3. Feed her a good skin/coat supplement like this one: ( https://www.amazon.in/Missing-Link-Natural-Superfood-Supplements/dp/B07QPDVQDD/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=missing+link+dog&qid=1560240391&s=gateway&sr=8-3 ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

It looks like he has a severe dermatitis so he needs to be examined by a vet to determine the cause. He may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, and/or other medications and your vet can prescribe. At this point, I don't think over the counter medications are going to treat his problem.

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.