My dog has black spots on her back that are red when scraped.

This looks like a mild bacterial skin infection. Dogs can get this from laying on damp ground. Often it will go away on its own. You can bathe the area with antibacterial shampoo once or twice weekly to help it heal more quickly. Since she’s not bothered by it I’m not overly concerned. Should it worsen please take her in for an exam. She may need oral antibiotics if is gets bad. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Marley.

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!

It does look like potentially it could be a hot spot that has been going on for a while and that Honey has been scratching. Ideally you should prevent her from scratching the area and have a vet check up so that she can have either further tests done or she might get some antibiotic and pain relief treatment.

Sometimes these little brown patches are minor bacterial infections although they can also be related to allergies or endocrine disease. You may try washing her in a medicated dog shampoo once a week to see if that helps to clear it up. Make sure the shampoo does not overly dry her skin. If the spots don’t go away or if they get worse, have her see her veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

She could have a skin infection, mites, fleas, ringworm, allergic dermatitis, etc. Your vet can do a skin scrape, cytology, or culture to help diagnose and then prescribe medications to treat the problem. She may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, or other medications depending on the cause. Make sure to treat her with a monthly flea medication like NexGard, Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution to prevent fleas.

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.

It looks like Bruno has a skin infection. Parasites like mites and fleas can cause irritation of the skin that can lead to bacterial infections. If he has not had skin scrapings performed to look for mites, that would be my recommendation. If there are no mites, and he has been treated for fleas, then perhaps the topical medications he is on are not enough, and he needs an oral antibiotic to control the infection. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.