My dog has blue/purple spots spreading on her stomach. Should I worry?

If your dog has recently been in an accident or possibly ingested a toxic substance, blue or purple discoloration can be caused by bruising or internal hemorrhaging. Otherwise, this could be a condition called cutaneous hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is seldom a disorder in its own right, but rather a result of another medical condition. This can include conditions such as bacterial infections, [allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/canine-allergies/), [Cushing's disease](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/cushing-s-disease/) and [obesity](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/obesity/). Inflammation is typically responsible for the emergence of hyperpigmentation, unless your dog is a Dachshund. Hyperpigmentation is a primary disorder for Dachshunds. Signs of [hyperpigmentation](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pigment-changes-of-the-skin-and-coat) include a dark purple, blue, or sometimes black or pale brown color to the abdomen, limbs, and groin. Texture changes may also occur to the skin, in which case you will notice the skin becoming more dense and course. Regardless of the cause, I recommend that you have your dog examined by your veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of the color change in your dog's skin.

Yes. Purplish discoloration can indicate inflammation but if it looks like bruising, that can indicate internal bleeding. Best to get her checked out today! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is most likely a blown vein underneath which could have been caused by some form of trauma. I would recommend continuing to monitor this for now. If not resolved in 1 week, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Based on the photos, I am concerned that the purple area is some bleeding/bruising in the skin which we often see when a dog has low platelets. I'm not sure based on the photo, but I suspect the white area is a nipple that just looks really prominent due to the bruising around it. Low platelets are a very serious problem; even though he's otherwise acting fine, please take him to your vet to have him examined. They may recommend running some lab work to find our what his platelet count is. There are many causes of low platelets, some possible causes include an infectious tick-borne disease, an auto-immune disease where his body is destroying his platelets, or cancer. Because all of these are very serious, and because low platelets can lead to life threatening anemia, please take him to your vet. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like there might be a small puncture near the bruised area? This would mean that Rosie was bitten on the abdomen. These types of injuries could be associated with internal damage, and should warrant immediate veterinary care. If there is no wound, then I would still be concerned about the sudden appearance of a bruise. Bruises can form if there is a bleeding or clotting issue or internal bleeding.

Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am worried about Bingo. From the photo, that looks more like bruising. Bruising on a dog is always an emergency as it can indicate internal bleeding, a clotting disorder or low platelets. I recommend to have Bingo examined immediately. If your normal veterinarian cannot see her, I recommend to go to an emergency clinic. I hope everything gets figured out quickly and that Bingo does well.

Those spots could be normal skin changes for your dog, areas of chronic irritation such as from grass or laying on a rough surface, or rarely an auto immune disease. If they start increase in size, number, have any sort of redness or appear raw/ulcerated she get checked out by a veterinarian. For now I would recommend monitoring them and no special shampoo should be needed.