Why does my healthy female GSD have black spots on her groin?

There are a number of things that could cause excessive itching with hair loss and blackened skin. The most common possibilities would include allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). If she's also acting weak, I would be concerned that she may also have some type of systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, anemia, hypothyroidism, or Cushing's disease. It would be best to have her examined by a vet as soon as possible - he/she can do some simple skin tests as well as blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and I am happy to help. Looking at the photo I see 4-5 distinct black dots that look to be the pore opening of his teats (they match on both sides so that's how you know). I also see darker skin discoloration around his prepuce. Sometimes this darker discoloration is natural and happens as they age. Sometimes it can indicate a thyroid disorder. Sometimes it indicates allergies. If Yogi doesn't seems bothered by it, it's not itching and he's not excessively licking it, it's probably normal. If it's looking red at all or he's licking at it, then I start to suspect one of the other two causes. Sometimes improving over all skin health can help. For that I recommend a fatty acid like Welactin and a potentially a diet change to Royal Canin or Nutro (both great diets for skin). It will take about 6 weeks to be effective. Washing him in an oatmeal type doggie shampoo and conditioner can also help. If that's not helping, make an appointment for an examine. Sometimes they need stronger medication or they need a blood test for the thyroid. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

That looks like a deep infection and I recommend to have Lori examined by the veterinarian. Sometimes these infections are related to a bacteria or yeast infection. They can also be related to skin mites or an autoimmune condition. Generally deep infection require antibiotics. It’s very important to make sure you protect the area from any licking or scratching as this will make it worse. The doctor may recommend a few simple diagnostics to determine the cause of the infection and then provide appropriate treatment. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for posting! Thank you for sending along a picture as well. From your picture, it looks to me like comedones or otherwise known as blackheads which occur when the hair follicle becomes clogged. Usually these can be treated with certain medicated shampoos that contain benzoyl peroxide in them to help flush out the follicle. Be sure to purchase these shampoos from your veterinarian as dogs can be especially sensitive to human shampoos and other human hygiene products. I hope this helps!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection (like yeast) 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!

Hi there, Thanks for the good photo. This looks like some mild pigment change, probably due to friction of motion in the area. This may become more pronounced as she ages. This is not of any medical concern. Skin changes that you should be concerned about would include but not be limited to: redness, swelling, crusting or flaking, itchiness, increase in greasiness or discharge from the skin, or growths. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The dark spots on Chloe's skin may be what are called comedones, which are essentially clogged pores. These are very common in the inguinal and genital area. They are clinically insignificant and should not cause any problems. I hope this is helpful!