Why does my dog have black spots and discoloration on her belly?

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!

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, thank you for your question about Bella. Brown/black spots on a puppy's belly could be a sign of a few different conditions. It is possible that this is a bacterial skin infection called impetigo/puppy pyoderma that is relatively common in puppies. Another possible problem is that Bella may actually have some blackheads/irritated skin on her belly. With either of these conditions if the spots are mild and Bella is not bothered by them you could try gently cleaning them with a gentle cleanser decided for us in dogs. If Bella is scratching/rubbing at the spots or there is a colored/odorous discharge I would recommend having Bella seen by your veterinarian so that they can further examine the spots and determine the need for another treatments. Hope this helps, good luck!

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.

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

It appears that Harley has many blackheads on the skin of this area. What needs to be done with these cases is manual expressing of the skin to help remove the blackheads and also use a shampoo that contains benzoyl peroxide such as Dermabenz, which can be purchased online. I would do this for several weeks and see if you can get the condition under control. If not, then I would have Harley examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! I would also recommend supporting the skin with supplements such as Welactin fish oil capsules and essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent. Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.