Why does my dog have recurring red and dark spots near her vagina?

That does look a bit irritated. Issues such as allergies, or even issues like bladder infections can cause itching or irritation. If Laika is licking the area, it can also increase irritation. I would place an Elizabethan (cone) collar on her to keep her from licking it and keep the area clean with pet wipes or a washcloth. If the irritation continues, or you see signs such as straining to urinate, bloody or cloudy urine, strange discharge, etc, then seeking veterinary care is best.

It could be a bacterial infection or a yeast infection. Generally these occur just due to the nature of the skin in the area--the environment is dark in the skin folds, and there is some moisture from the skin and sometimes from urine as well. If it is not bothering her (she is definitely not licking at it, etc) it could also be just waxy secretions/plugged hair follicles, etc. You can try using just plain Witch Hazel (available at any pharmacy) on a cotton swab or pad once or twice a day for a few days to see if that helps; however if it does not help or if this seems to irritate her skin further or if she does not like it when you do this, DO NOT CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT THIS METHOD. Take her to the vet. And if you do try just cleaning it at home, take her in if you aren't seeing an improvement within 2-3 days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Oh great! The picture worked this time. The picture sure looks like pustules, which is what I was describing in my first answer about pyoderma. However, this is not a diagnosis without a veterinarian seeing the patient and perhaps even sampling the bumps to determine what they are. Transmissible venereal tumors are also possible. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This presentation could be due to a localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

These are probably pustules from a minor skin infection. Since she is not spayed, she may continue to get these due to underlying increase of hormones. If she is not a breeding bitch you should have her spayed which will hopefully stop them from recurring. In the meantime you can try to use these medicated pads to see if they will help: ( https://www.amazon.com/Sogeval-Douxo-Count-Chlorhexidine-Pads/dp/B00G3D8JL0 )

Do they appear to be scabs and raised or just part of her skin pigment? I would clean the area with soap and water and if there are scabs then try to gently scrub them off. If it is part of her skin pigment then just make sure the area stays clean as they could be black heads in the skin and will go away with time.

Frequent licking generally indicates irritation or infection. Licking around the genital area can also indicate a urinary tract infection. I suspect the discoloring of her skin is related to the licking although some pet's skin will darken as they mature. I would recommend to make an appointment with her vet to have her skin examined and her urine tested to make sure everything is normal. At home, you can wash the areas daily with an antibacterial soap and rinse it well - be careful not put soap in her vulva (vagina). This will help to clean off the skin. There can be many causes of skin irritation or infection including bacterial infections, environmental allergies, food allergies and flea allergies. The doctor will try to determine the cause and may prescribe some medications to decrease irritation. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.