Why does my new puppy have a crusty spot with missing fur on her back?

It could be a pyoderma (skin infection). See your veterinarian for an exam. He or she may diagnose bacterial or fungal skin infection and can prescribe the appropriate medication afterwards. Treatment may be topical, systemic or a combination. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps, to her diet to promote healthy skin and coat. Place an e-collar (cone) on your dog if she is licking or chewing excessively.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor baby! It could be a burn from heating pad or lamp. Or it could be a hot spot from excessive moisture from the mother licking the puppy or lying in urine. Hot spots can crop up quite quickly. Since the puppy is so young it should ideally be seen by a Vet. the fur should be shaved to evaluate the area. If it is a hot spots can heal very quickly. I hope this helps and I wish you all the very best!

This looks like a focal area of infection, commonly referred to a hot spot. I would recommend taking Sophie to the vet to have the area clipped and cleaned. Sophie will probably need to be on antibiotics to help the skin heal properly.

The area on Desi's back does not seem irritated, infected or swollen. I would continue to monitor it. Start by taking a ruler and measuring the affected area. In a week check back to see if it has gotten larger or smaller. It larger I would alter Desi in for an examination by her vet. There are several causes of hair loss, but he most common is traumatic biting by dogs when they have an itch in their skin. This could be caused by allergies or parasites. Best of luck with Desi and please ask as many questions as you need while this skin issues is being monitored. We are here to help!

I would get him checked for external parasites, such as lice or mites (Cheyletiella comes to mind as a possibility). If those aren't the problem, it could be a bacterial skin infection secondary to allergies. Your vet can do some simple testing to get this sorted out.

Congrats on your new puppy, but I'm sorry Birdie has a rash. It could be puppy pyoderma based on the appearance of her skin in the pictures and the location of the rash. A puppy's skin is very sensitive, and this is especially true in areas where there is lack of protective covering of hair. Puppy pyoderma is a bacterial skin infection. Treating it requires a course of antibiotics which you do need to see the vet for to get a prescription. I would recommend having her seen by the vet sooner than May 1st for this problem, and I would call the vet in the morning to see if you can get her in sometime this week. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

From the crusting and redness, it does look like Lexi has an infection in her skin. You could start by doing a compress with warm wet washcloth to soften up and clean the crust away. Then clean the area with an antiseptic like betadine solution (diluted to the color of weak tea) and apply a topical triple antibiotic ointment. Based on where exactly it is, I would put on a cone or even a little t-shirt to stop her from scratching at it. If it doesn't improve or starts to spread, I would definitely recommend taking her to a vet for an exam as they sometimes need to be prescribed oral antibiotics.