My dog has red skin. Could it be low platelets? What are the signs?

This looks more like a skin condition rather than a low platelets problem, it could be an allergy or a skin infection, if it doesn't resolve within 72 hours i would recommend taking him to the vet in order to get it checked and treated.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The scrotal skin color isn’t influenced by the platelet number. Platelets are part of clotting. If Bruno’s platelets are low enough you could see bruising on the skin and scrotum. The scrotum can become more pigmented with time and just like the belly skin they can also become red when certain things contact the scrotum like grass. Have a good day.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Coco! I am very worried about Coco. The most common cause for bruising of the skin and gum bleeding are low platelets. This can be caused by loss, destruction or the body stopped making platelets. Common causes of destruction is immune, infectious (tick borne), secondary to medications, recent vaccination or even cancer. I recommend that Coco be seen immediately and have blood work done. Low platelets are treated with immunosuppressive doses of steroids and doxycycline. Animals with low platelets can become anemic which is life threatening. I wish you the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mindy! The discoloration or redness is with in the skin. It could be bruising, trauma or a dermatitis. If she is acting 100% normal today I would have her seen Monday by your Vet. If she is lethargic, not eating or vomiting then she should be seen on emergency today. If it is bruising the Vet will likely check blood work (to check for low platelets) and her clotting times. You can check other areas on her body for bruising or bleeding: gums and the ear pinna are common areas when there is a bleeding issue. I hope this helps and I wish Mindy the very best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Polycythemia is just the medical term for higher than normal red blood cell count. This is most commonly related to mild-moderate dehydration, though other causes are possible. I am more concerned about the platelets. They are not terribly decreased, and if they are much improved from the last blood count, it may not be a concern. Speak with your vet about how to interpret these results and how much concern you should have about these values. Best wishes to you and Bruno!

Based on the photos, I am concerned that the purple area is some bleeding/bruising in the skin which we often see when a dog has low platelets. I'm not sure based on the photo, but I suspect the white area is a nipple that just looks really prominent due to the bruising around it. Low platelets are a very serious problem; even though he's otherwise acting fine, please take him to your vet to have him examined. They may recommend running some lab work to find our what his platelet count is. There are many causes of low platelets, some possible causes include an infectious tick-borne disease, an auto-immune disease where his body is destroying his platelets, or cancer. Because all of these are very serious, and because low platelets can lead to life threatening anemia, please take him to your vet. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.