Why is my dog bothering a new circular hair loss spot on his side?

Ouch! Any new change should always be checked out by your vet, especially if it's different from any other growths seen on the body. Skin tags and other growths can sometimes cause pockets of hair loss like this, however, other issues such as bacterial or fungal infections (like ringworm) can also cause round patches of hair loss like this as well, which need to be treated by a vet. A quick fine-needle aspirate can determine if there are any concerns, and if your vet suspects something bacterial or fungal, it can be treated with oral antibiotics and cleaning of the area. Until you get to your vet, keeping an eye on the spot for any changes in size/shape, and keeping Eddie from licking it can help monitor for changes and reduce the chances of a secondary issue. It's also important to keep the area clean and dry, and thoroughly wash your hands after handling the area as some bacterial/fungal causes can be contagious to people.

Poor Bholu! That looks like it could be a bite wound, a ruptured cyst, a ruptured tumor or perhaps the exit wound of a fly larva. Regardless I recommend to take him in to the veterinarians as soon as you can. Also make sure to protect the area from additional trauma by making him wear an Elizabethan collar at all times. Make sure the area stays clean and dry. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

That looks more like a really inflamed “hot spot” to me. Put an ecollar on him so he can’t lick at it, and take him to your vet. He may need oral antibiotics and a prescription topical treatment. If you are unable to get him to a vet, use the ecollar as I mentioned, and try this product:https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-hydrocortison-cream Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Thank you for showing concern and compassion for this little guy. The wound appears to be most likely caused by chronic fleas, bacterial infection (hot spot), or mite infestation. It could have also been caused by an injury or burn - a little difficult to tell with just a photo. Your vet should be able to help you figure it out. In the meantime, try to keep him from scratching the area and keep it as clean as possible.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the photo, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this to rule out the various possible causes. This could be a bacterial infection, fungal infection such as ringworm, etc. The veterinarian will be able to perform some additional testing and have a better look at it so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended. I hope this helps!

It's difficult to tell from your pictures what this is, but it does appear that it may be infected. Even if she can't reach it to lick or chew, if it is itchy or painful she may be scratching it with a foot or even rubbing on the ground or furniture to scratch it. I would recommend a vet visit to assess the spot and determine what it may be. If it is getting larger it could be a mass or growth, or infection/hotspot that requires antibiotics. The vet may clip away the hair from the lesion and possibly do a cytology to find out what type of cells or infection are present. From there appropriate treatment can be determined.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.