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My puppy has brown/black spots on belly & nipples. Is it serious?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 1 month and 16 days old | 10 lbs

My 10 week old puppy has brown spots with black spots on her lower belly, as well as black spots on her nipples. Is this a medical emergency or something that can be solved at home?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 3rd, 2018

Hello, thank you for your question about Bella.

Brown/black spots on a puppy's belly could be a sign of a few different conditions. It is possible that this is a bacterial skin infection called impetigo/puppy pyoderma that is relatively common in puppies. Another possible problem is that Bella may actually have some blackheads/irritated skin on her belly. With either of these conditions if the spots are mild and Bella is not bothered by them you could try gently cleaning them with a gentle cleanser decided for us in dogs. If Bella is scratching/rubbing at the spots or there is a colored/odorous discharge I would recommend having Bella seen by your veterinarian so that they can further examine the spots and determine the need for another treatments.

Hope this helps, good luck!

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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