My dog has a dark, crusty, circular spot on her back. Should I worry?

This is likely due to some sort of infection. It could be due to a bacteria or fungus. One concern is ringworm, which is a fungal infection that can spread throughout the body and possibly to people. The other concern is skin cancer. Some cancerous lesions can appear like this. The fact that it's getting darker is suspicious that it's not getting better, so I recommend having a vet examine it. They will be better able to tell what this is and can advise on any further testing or treatment. It's not an emergency, but best to get it checked-out within the next week. I hope that helps and all is well with Clover.

Hi there-it sounds as if Bentley could have ringworm, a fungal infection. These are usually easily treated by Medicated shampoos and oral antifungals, as long as there are no complicating factors. Your vet can do a culture for this and get you squared away pretty quickly! Hope this helps.

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. This does, however look like a bacterial infection, Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications such as antibiotics and possibly an antibiotic/antifungal shampoo.

This looks like it could be an adenoma, or benign growth originating from the glands in the skin. Sometimes adenomas can produce oils that collect at the surface and can be dark brown or black. There are many other skin masses that could look similar, and some might be more serious so I would recommend having your veterinarian take a look in person.

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the picture, I suspect that this is a pustule that ruptured and crusted over. This could be due to a localized skin infection or this could be a fungal infection such as ringworm. The vomiting is likely unrelated so I would not worry about that as long as he is improved. For the skin, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine the area so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. A topical and / or oral medication may be needed for treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

As long as the skin underneath the black spot appears normal and is not itchy I wouldn't be too concerned. The color of the fur can change as a result of itching and skin inflammation so if the skin is abnormal I would take Chuy to see a veterinarian.