My dog's haunches have loose hair and black crust. What should I do?

Even though a better picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, 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 eventually antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid licking. 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.

That could be the result of a traumatic skin injury of potentially a spot of infected skin. I would recommend not to remove the crust and keep the area clean with salt water bath (10 teaspoons of salt in 1 liter of water twice daily) for the next 3-4 days. If not resolving by then a check up would be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It's possible your pet is experiencing symptoms of a bacterial infection due to mange mite infestation. You'll want to be sure to visit your local Veterinarian as soon as possible and request a skin scraping examination. This will allow your doctor to identify the underlying cause of your pets discomfort. You're doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to help stop the infection and mite/mange treatment if needed.

In your picture it looks like there might be a small skin growth in the center of the ring like skin lesion, so if there is still a raised area I would recommend seeing your veterinarian. Some skin growths are benign and can be monitored while others should be removed. The areas of crusty debris could be from trauma, or potentially an infection secondary to allergies. If these areas do not improve in the next few days or if new skin lesions develop I'd also recommend seeing your vet.

Hi there! The base of the tail area is a common hiding place for fleas. Unfortunately the picture of the black crusts is a bit blurry, but fleas usually leave what we call "flea dirt" (its really flea poop!) in the hair. It can appear like black crusts. If Major is not on a flea and tick preventative, I highly recommend getting him started on one. Many dogs have allergies to fleas and the vicious cycle of biting, scratching and chewing starts until they have caused a wound or sore. There are definitely other possibilities other than fleas, but your description and the fact that both dogs are experiencing the same signs is suspicious for a fleas. It is important that Major, does not continue to chew his tail as it looks like he has already made a good start on giving himself a hotspot. I would highly recommend having both dogs, especially Major since he already has a sore, evaluated by a veterinarian to rule out other possible dermatologic problems. Treating for fleas is an easy place to start and you can do that with out a trip to the vet. I hope this information was helpful and your pups get some relief soon!

We commonly see an overgrowth of normal bacteria on the skin cause crusting and scabbing. When this happens around and in the hair follicles, the hair will easily fall out. When a dog has a thick coat, the crusting can spread under the coat and go unnoticed. From your picture, it looks like this area may be over the hip/pelvis. In older dogs, when their bones are more prominent, they will sometimes have areas like that due to lying on harder surfaces. These can become pressure sores, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. I agree that the area does not look irritated, but there is still some brown crusting left, so be sure to monitor the area closely for any spread of the crusting. If the crusting spreads or the skin appears red, be sure to have your vet evaluate the area. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear about Freckles. The black crusts could be flea dirt, which is digested blood left behind by the fleas (if you place it on a paper towel and wet the black debris and it turns a rust color then it is likely flea dirt). We can also get skin infections resulting in crust and debris in dogs. I would recommend an examination by his vet if he is very itchy. He may need oral medications, or a topical treatment such as a medicated shampoo like Duoxo Chlorhexidine may be needed.