My dog's scab came off. What is this raw, red spot on his skin?

Poor pup. This looks like a hot spot. This is a superficial bacterial infection that is initially caused by some kind of trauma/injury to the skin that then gets infected. You will need to have this area shaved by your vet and then get Biscuit on antiboitics to get this to heal. I would recommend scheduling an appt with your vet soon to have this taken care of. Until you can get Biscuit seen, you can certainly clean this area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with water to help reduce the bacterial load there and keep the infection down until he can get seen by your vet. Best of luck with Biscuit moving forward and I hope that this heals up well soon! Take care. : )

It looks like what we call a hot spot or moist dermatitis. These looks really painful. I would have him seen. He will most likely need some antibiotics and some topical medication to help dry this up. They can also give you something for the itching or pain relief. These usually heal pretty quickly once they stop messing with them.

It is good that you have Harry wearing an e-collar to prevent further damage. It looks like he may have a hot spot. They can come up very quickly. To try at-home treatment, the first step is to clip the hair away from the skin so it will dry out, is easier to clean, and so you can monitor the progression. You need to use electric clippers, not scissors or a razor, to safely remove the hair. Second is to gently cleanse and disinfect the area. You can use a chlorhexidine wound scrub to gently scrub the wound, rinse thoroughly with water. It is important to keep this out of Harry's eyes as it is unsafe. Third is the treat the skin. You can use an ointment like neosporin or a medicated wipe like Dechra MalAcetic HC Wipes which is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. If you do this at-home treatment for 48 hours and the skin appears worse, Harry seems painful, or there is excessive discharge, I recommend that Harry see a vet immediately. Other possible causes for his skin issue that are not a hot spot include fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. Here is a good article about hot spots, including information on when at-home treatment can be tried: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2714

This presentation could be due to a trauma or 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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a hot spot. This is basically a bacterial infection secondary to self-trauma such as scratching. This is possibly secondary to allergies or another cause resulting in itchiness. I recommend that you have Bella evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If confirmed a hot spot on examination, then they would start her on antibiotics and something like steroids to decrease the itch. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar which you may get from your local pet store to try to prevent further scratching. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ninja! I can not see the skin well in the pictures due to all the hair. I am not seeing an open wound but more of a sore. If the area is flat, red, moist and weeping it is likely a hot spot. Hot spots are superficial skin infections that occur secondary to allergies, scratching and excessively moist fur (like after a bath or swimming). They crop up very quickly and get larger just as quick. I treat hot spots by shaving all the fur away, having owners use an E-collar or T-shirt to prevent further scratching and I prescribe a course of oral antibiotics and tapering course of steroids along with a topical spray. Most hot spots with this treatment heal with in 5 days. I would make an appointment with your Vet. I wish you the best!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I actually do think that it looks like a hot spot but honestly, I have never seen one in that location. A hot spot is really just a skin infection so it is certainly possible especially if he was scraped in that general location. I would not be overly concerned about it as it looks superficial. You can continue with the Neosporin but I think this would be better: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/3-oz-3-fl-oz-hot-spot-antimicr-2877113 ) Also, if he is licking that area you need to get him a cone collar to wear. Licking can cause more infection and will delay healing. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/contech-procone-soft-recovery-collar-1558315 ) If you do this treatment and it is not looking better in about 5 days or so then you should have him to your vet for an exam. Hope this helps. Best wishes.