Why does my puppy have a bald spot on its head from mom's licking?

Hello! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! First off, you're doing a great job by keeping fleas off the mother dog and combing the pups regularly. Looking at the spots of hair loss on the head, my top suspicions would be ringworm, demodectic mange, or a bacterial skin infection. I would recommend you take her into a vet to find out what the problem is. Ringworm is a skin fungus that can be transmitted to people, but it is treated fairly easily if it is caught early. The vet will likely recommend a DTM culture to test for fungal infections, and a skin scraping and impression smear to find the root of the problem. I hope that helps!

Hello. Without knowing exactly what the underlying cause of this irritation, it is very difficult to make any recommendations other than to see your veterinarian. And I encourage this because the skin really looks almost infected now, & that is worrisome. This is an unusual area to just develop an allergy or sensitivity, but that being said, if you do not see fleas on any of your pets, do not assume you have none. Start using a good product for fleas, & I recommend Bravecto because it will also address skin mites if this might be the cause. The cone was an excellent thing to do, so great job there. But I do think you will need professional help to be able to address this skin infection. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. Your mother dog doesn't have be be aggressive to "bite" her puppies. She will correct their behavior much like our parents do. If the pups play too rough or bite her, she will likely nip at them or send them a warning growl to let them know she's had enough and that she won't tolerate it anymore. Having littermates around also helps puppies establish these sorts of boundaries. With that said, puppies can get small wounds from all sorts of things that aren't necessarily intentional harm. Maybe he was bitten by another neighborhood dog? If the wound is deep he may need immediate medical attention, and if not and he starts using it again soon you can probably keep it clean at home with dilute soap and water and apply neosporin and a head cone so that he can't eat or lick any of it off until you can get him in to see his vet. Hope this info helps!

Hello, and thanks for your question about Maki. This could have been a hot spot, but it could also be something else, such as an abscess (deeper infection), skin mites, etc. I'm a bit unclear as to if that first picture was an earlier picture, and the second one is how the area looks now? The two photos are very different - the area looks much smaller and more moist in the first photo. However, I'm concerned about the size of that bald patch in the second picture, and the fact that the fur still looks wet - which would indicate to me that the underlying issue is not yet cured. I recommend having Maki seen by a vet, where they can better look at those lesions, and start him on oral antibiotics if that's indicated. Hope this helps!

It would be a little unusual for one dog to lick the same spot on another dog's back frequently enough to cause hair loss. If it's possible that there was some sort of lesion there before the licking started, or if the skin appears abnormal I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian. If you're certain the hair loss is from licking alone you could try putting a T shirt on your dog as a barrier.

This looks like it could be the start of ringworm although many different things can cause hair loss. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam when you can. In the meantime you can try this spray: https://www.allivet.com/p-6677-douxo-chlorhexidine-micro-emulsion-spray-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo+Auto

This could be from an insect bite or injury that he’s licked excessively. I would place him in a cone and apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it daily. If it doesn’t improve in about ten days then you can take him in for a skin scraping to check for mange. I don’t often see localized demodex in a dog this age. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ralph.