My dog has reddish-black spots. Is it flea dirt, a rash, or something else?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Baby Girl! I think what your describing can still be fleas, especially if you are seeing small black things running around on her skin. Or if you are seeing black squiggley flecks that when wet on a paper towel 'melt" to bloody streaks (flea poop). Flea baths and topical flea treatments do not work as well to prevent fleas from jumping back on the dog. Frequent bathing strips products like Frontline, Advantage/Advantix and Revolution. I have seen dogs infested with fleas where Frontline is used. The fact that Baby Girl has sores makes me recommend that you have her examined by your Vet .She has to be uncomfortable and likely needs antibiotics and something to relieve the itch (prednisone or apoquel). The Vet can check her well for fleas and prescribe a more effective flea preventative (Nexgard, Bravecto, Simparica, Seresto Collar). I hope this helps and I wish Baby Girl a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a skin infection. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks like flea dirt. If you put "cat flea dirt" into a Google search you will see many photos that resemble this. I suggest you get her a GOOD flea prevention and treat your house and/or yard for fleas. You can bathe her if she will let you with Dawn dish soap. Use the dish soap sparingly as it is very concentrated. Be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. You should only need to bathe her once. Bathe her either 24 hour before OR after applying the topical flea medication. If you can't bathe her, don't worry too much about it. Once the medication kicks in and you treat the environment her clinical signs will resolve. I have linked some products for you below: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=120766 ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Virbac-Knockout-Treatment-Spray-16-Ounce/dp/B00AT6FY6A/ ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Killer-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B071XPK8M8/ ) Be sure to continue to use a topical flea prevention on her EVERY MONTH. Watch her poop closely in the coming months as often cats will get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. If you see any worms (look like grains of rice) on her poop or around her anus you should take her to your vet to get a dewormer. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures, it appears Riley has a skin infection known as a hot spot. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause and get treatment for the infection and itching. Hope this helps!

Hi there, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The dark substance appears from your photos to be sebum (skin oil) mixed with dirt, though it is difficult to say for sure without a hands-on exam. Around these lesions, I can see skin inflammation. It would be best for him to see a veterinarian, but if you're unable to take Justice to a vet, you will need to clip the hair using electric trimmers. Be careful to avoid causing skin abrasions. This will allow a better look at the lesions underneath as well as facilitate topical treatment. A good antiseptic is a spray called Vetericyn, available on Amazon.com and at some pet stores. Here is the Amazon link: Vetericyn Plus All Animal Wound

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Puppy! I recommend taking her to the Vet. It sounds like she has a bad skin infection from reacting to the medications. The fur should be shaved away, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories should be given. There are great flea and tick medications out there now that are oral: Nexgard, Simparica and Bravecto. The topical flea medications do not work nearly as well. And for puppy this will hopefully avoid reactions like this in the future. I hope this helps and I wish Puppy a speedy recovery!

It's possible it's dirt or debris that Charlie laid in. Flea feces can also look like this. Collect a few of those dark colored flakes on a clean white paper towel and apply a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Then gently rub it around. If the towel turns reddish or rusty colored, it's flea feces. It looks like Clay does have a few lesions so a skin rash or infection is very likely. Your veterinarian can help to treat this rash effectively. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.