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My dog has red itchy spots on belly, worsening. Should I see a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years and 4 months old | 60 lbs

Hi, my dog had a couple of red spots on his belly when we came back from camping last week, it got worse over the last couple of days since he has been scratching. We gave him a flea treatment and dewormed him Tuesday but it seems to be getting worse :'( could you please help us? Thank you

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 9th, 2019

You will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on October 13th, 2018
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! It is difficult to say for sure what the cause of this is without seeing it in a picture or in person. It is possible that this is a skin infection. If it is just mild and not severe, I would recommend using a shampoo such as Douxo PS Chlorhexidine Combo shampoo and bathe twice weekly. In addition to the shampoo, you can use Pramosoothe hydrocortisone spray and apply twice daily until resolved. Both of these products can be found online quite easily. If there is no improvement or the condition worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Galbi so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 30th, 2017
It looks like he could have a skin infection which could be associated with allergies. You could bathe him with a medicated shampoo and see if that helps. Otherwise, have him examined by a vet for treatment. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, and a corticosteroid to treat. Make sure to use a monthly flea prevention, as well. If he has allergies then he may need to stay on an anti-histamine long term.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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What causes a red spot on my dog's belly and how to treat it?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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Dog has rashes on belly and ears, scratching. What should I do?

You will need to put an e-collar on your dog , so she does not scratch herself bloody. Your dog could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. take your dog to a veterinarian or Pet ER for a skin exam. lease take your dog to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching.

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My dog is itching, licking, and has red spots. When to see a vet?

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Why does my dog have red belly patches for weeks with no itch?

It is very difficult to tell from a photo exactly what is going on here. I am concerned if these areas could be bleeding under the skin. From the photos the areas don't appear raised which is why I am concerned they could be this type of bruisng, also called ecchymosis. If you press your finger onto the area and remove it, and there is not a white spot, then this is a sign this is ecchymosis and your dog should be seen right away because it could have a bleeding disorder. If you press against the red area and when you remove your finger it blanches (turns white) and then turns red again, then it is less concerning in terms of the urgency of being seen and is more likely an actual skin issue. If the area is raised or crusted then this could be inflammation due to infection with bacteria or yeast. We can have immune system over-reactions that can result in red inflammed areas of skin. We can also in more rare cases see cancers that can affect the skin. A vet can examine the skin and determine what testing may be indicated- this could include cytology of the skin, culture of the skin, biopsy, or bloodwork depending on their exam findings. Best of luck to you.

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My dog's belly is red and rashy from scratching. What should I do?

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Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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