My dog has pink, puffy, spreading chin bumps. Is it canine acne?

Hi and thanks for your request. This looks like chin acne, a deep bacterial infection quite commonly seen in these cases. Please provide some disinfection with hibiscrub solution twice daily 1:10 diluted with water and use a buster collar to avoid any scratching/rubbing. If no improvement is seen in a week time a check up will be required as antibiotics may be needed.

This looks like a mild infection which is likely an extension of chin acne. This is usually treated with benzoyl peroxide wipes (i.e. Stridex pads) and oral antibiotics. Antihistamines are also often used to help resolve this and some pets requrire steroid thereapy to get this to subside. This is usually caused by a skin allergy which can be from something in then environment or a food allergy. Remove any plastic bowls from you home, since this seems to be a common irritant for chin acne. I hope that your pet Scooby's skin resolves soon! Best wishes and take care.

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection. The chin is a common place for this to happen, because there can be excessive moisture that gets trapped here. I recommend cleaning the chin with a medicated wipe or shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day until the bump(s) are gone. If it seems to get worse, then you'll want to take Oakley into the vet for an exam, because it may be another skin condition, or need stronger medication. Below is a link to an article with more information about pyoderma (skin infection). https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pyoderma-in-dogs You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. I hope that helps and Oakley gets better soon.

Poor Titan! He is so cute! This sounds like chin acne. Sometimes they need oral antibiotics to go away but unfortunately, the dogs that are prone to them will have problems with them returning. I would make sure his food and water bowls are made out of stainless steel and washed regularly. If not, this could increase his risk to developing these bumps. You can also try stridex pads which you can find in the human facial products of most stores. I would do them once to twice a day while he has the bumps and then at least once a day as a maintenance treatment to help prevent a reoccurrence. If he has never had antibiotics for them or if there are several bumps that have pus coming out of them, I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at them to help get rid of the infection. I hope this helps!

Hello, and thank you for your question and photo! It looks like Trooper may have folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles), caused by bacterial infection, demodex mites, fungal infection, or allergy. He will require a vet visit, but in the meantime, I would suggest wiping the muzzle area with a mild soap or chlorhexidine solution which you may be able to find at the pharmacy. This will hopefully keep the muzzle area clean until definitive treatment can be started at the vet. If Trooper is scratching at his muzzle, you may need to put an e-collar (cone) on his head to prevent further trauma to the area. Once at the vet, they may recommend some tests such as a skin scraping, cytology, or fungal culture to rule out the above causes. From there, the appropriate medication can be prescribed. I hope this helps, and that Trooper gets better soon!

Hello. This is probably a case of chin furunculosis, a deep pyoderma or skin infection that can be from many causes, including food sensitivities. It often clears up with a round of antibiotics, & sometimes steroids, but may come back if the underlying allergen is not identified. I would start out by slowly switching her food to one indicated for skin issues. Both Purina Pro Plan & Hill's Science Diet have over the counter foods directed at dogs with sensitive skin & stomach issues. You can also clean the skin using a benzoyl peroxide based soap or one with chlorhexidine ( Hibiclens - available at all pharmacies ). If this does not work, or you want to see quicker results, talk to your vet about oral antibiotic therapy, topical therapy with Mupiricin & a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Also, make sure all food & water dishes are either ceramic or stainless steel, no plastics. Hope the skin looks better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! From the pictures you have provided and knowing that Ace is a young dog, I would suspect the bumps to be papillomas. These are benign masses of the skin that are caused by the papilloma virus. Most of the time these bumps resolve on their own with no secondary complications. Other times, these bumps need to be treated because they are bothering the dog. If Ace is not bothered by these bumps, I would monitor them for now and if they become much larger in size or begin to bother him, I would get him examined by a veterinarian. As these are viral, there is no one great treatment for resolving these. There has been research on an antibiotic called Azithromycin and its efficacy in treating papillomas. I have used Azithromycin before for treating this with mixed results. These bumps could also be acne or infected hair follicles that are inflamed (a condition called folliculitis). I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns! I am also available via phone or text based consultation.