My dog has a non-painful skin sore with hair loss. What could it be?

Thank you for your question! Judging from the pictures, the area is reddened, inflamed and the hair has fallen out. It looks as though Mickey could possibly be dealing with a skin infection or skin mites. I would recommend you take him to your veterinarian for a workup of this to diagnose it appropriately so that the most effective treatment can be prescribed. Mickey will likely need to go on a course of oral antibiotics and a topical ointment to treat this if it is a skin infection and if it is skin mites (demodex) he would need to go on a course of a medication that kills the mites. I hope this guides you in the right direction for addressing this concern of yours. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions / concerns you may have.

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.

i am sorry to hear about your dog! It is very difficult to evaluate the skin by a photograph but it appears there is a defect/wound in the skin here? I would be concerned that this was an abscess that ruptures, a wound that isn't healing and is infected, or we could have something like a cuterebra (a fly larvae that lives in a hole in the skin- look closely and see if you see a tiny creature moving inside the hole!). I would recommend a visit to your vet- the area may need to be flushed/cleaned and have antibiotics prescribed. In the meantime, I would put an e-collar on your dog or a t-shirt if it would be covered by this to prevent your dog from licking/aggravating the skin. You can also clean the area with a mild soap or Hibiclens (available at the drug store) and apply an antibiotic ointment like polysporin to the area until your vet can see him.

Hi. This appears to be a hot spot on him. This is basically an area of a moist dermatitis , or skin infection. They are usually secondary to allergies of some type. They are treated at the veterinarian by clipping the area, cleaning it with medicated cleaner, and then antibiotics and antiinflammtories. I'd call your veterinarian in the morning for an appointment

It could be a localized area of dermatitis. You can try an over the counter wound spray, like Vetericyn Plus, and see if the lesion resolves. If not, she should be examined by your vet to determine the cause and prescribe medications to treat.

Hello. The skin issues that are shown in the photos are what we call "hotspots". These are moist bacterial infections that can be caused by a number of things including fleas, allergies, trauma to the skin, too much swimming, etc. The infection itself is very itchy and uncomfortable. Sonny should be seen by a veterinarian to assess if there are any other things going on and to have these areas clipped and cleaned. Your vet will most likely prescribe a combination of topical and oral medication to clear the infection. He may also require and anti-inflammatory, anti-itch medication...but your veterinarian can discuss all of that with you. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, it looks from the picture like an area of hair loss and inflammation of the skin, but not an actual open wound. I would be concerned that she either got a hot spot, or something spilled on her, or potentially being road rash. It could also be infection either with parasites, bacteria, or ringworm. I would have Masa evaluated by your veterinarian if it is not getting any better in a few days or if she is scratching a lot or if the area of hair loss is getting bigger. In the mean time, you can clean it with soap and warm water then make sure to dry it thoroughly. If She is scratching at the area, you can place a shirt over her to protect the area. Best of luck and hope this helps!