My rescued boxer has non-itchy skin spots. Could they be scars?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an allergic reaction. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian. If this is confirmed, they would likely start him on anti-histamine medications and steroids which can help with an allergic reaction. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A skin lesion like you are describing can have multiple causes, such as a tick (or other insect) bite, or a fungal or bacterial infection, among others. If it does not resolve in 24-48 hours, spreads, worsens, she starts acting ill or you are worried, I would have it checked by your regular veterinarian to see what may be going on, and if any treatment is needed. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for your post! Judging from the pictures and your description, these skin lesions are likely benign but it would be difficult to rule out if they are cancerous or not based on pictures and a description unfortunately. If the skin was damaged sometimes Scar Tissue can come back as a discolored portion of the skin. So what you may be seeing is scar tissue that is hyperpigmentation. As with any Mass, I typically recommend further testing to help determine what the mask could be. A simple test called a fine needle aspirate can be performed. This test is when the veterinarian inserts a small needle into the mass to obtain cells. These cells are then assessed under a microscope to help better determine what the mass could be. So if you would like to know more what these masses could be, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine them and have a fine needle aspirate done. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These are likely patches of hyperpigmentation. However, continue to monitor them closely because sometimes skin cancer such as melanoma can start like that. If these ever become raised or seem to bother him or appear to be spreading, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check on it and sample to get a diagnosis. Best of luck!

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Oscar. It is a bit difficult to see the lesions in these photos as they are slightly blurry and there is fur covering the areas, but these could be epidermal collarettes, which are the result of bacterial infection of the skin, often the result of allergies, or potentially ringworm (a fungus) lesions. I would recommend bringing Oscar in to the vet to examine the areas. They may recommend testing by collecting some of the lesion and looking at it under the microscope to see if bacteria or yeast are present, or recommend fungal culture if they feel the lesions are suspicious for ringworm in person.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based on their appearance, they look like freckles or birthmarks, which are normal and should not be causing him to be itchy. Oscar may be itchy for other reasons, such as allergies or a skin infection. If you are concerned that he may have an underlying skin disease, your veterinarian can perform a skin scrape and cytology to look for evidence of organisms that may be infecting the skin. I hope this is helpful!

Poor Princess! That definitely sounds uncomfortable. These lesions can be caused by a skin infection, skin mites, certain cancers, food allergies, or even some autoimmune diseases. This is a very broad list, and can be narrowed down with a vet examination. Your vet may take some small samples from Princess’s skin and some bloodwork to determine what is going on and start the appropriate treatment. I am happy to answer any other questions you may have or look at pictures of your dog’s skin!