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Why does my dog have spreading, crusty, bloody skin patches?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dogo Argentino | Male | unneutered | 2 years old | 90 lbs

My dog suddenly have bloody patch on his skin, on his lower back where he can't lick or scratch. I saw only 1 in the morning, in the evening it was more than 5, and then even more spots in the next morning around the same area and 1-2 spots on his neck. I notice hairloss on the spots too. The older spots I saw getting crusty and darkened because of dried blood. I didn't see any open wounds under the bloody crust. What skin condition is this? How to treat this?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G,  MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 14th, 2018

Hello. Wowzo is developing a pretty severe dermatitis possibly due to an allergic reaction. This has led to a staph infection. He needs to be treated with a short-acting steroid & started either on an antibiotic or a medicated shampoo to help the skin to heal. Then, you & your veterinarian will try to figure out why this happened & what needs to be done to control or prevent the same thing from happening again. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Maria DVM

    Veterinarian

    It looks like Wowzo may have a skin infection. I recommend taking him to a veterinarian to have them clean up his skin (this may require shaving the area) and putting him on medication to help. I would also put an elizabethan collar on him so he doesn't lick the area.

    Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    0Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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