My puppy has lumps near his penis and flea bites. Is this normal?

I am so sorry that Rowdy is having this problem. The discoloration on the tip of Rowdy's penis appears to be a normal color change. Puppies generally have very pink bellies which become darker as they mature. So, I would not worry about that. From the pictures, it looks like the areas on Rowdy's belly are crusts that could be a sign of a bacterial skin infection which is also called pyoderma. Here is an article on pyoderma. It is very common in puppies and in response to fleas. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1571 There are a number of treatment options for pyoderma. Sometimes we can resolve them with topical treatment (antibacterial shampoos, sprays or wipes), but sometimes they require oral or injectable antibiotics. However, we still needs to look for the cause of the pyoderma. Since we know that Rowdy had fleas that may be the reason for the pyoderma. You may also be dealing with a flea allergy even if you have treated for fleas. Once a flea bites a flea allergy dog, that dog can stay itchy for a week. Here is additional information on fleas causing itching in dogs. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2455 I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Rowdy to discuss your treatment options for Rowdy's belly. I would also get Rowdy on a regular flea prevention regimen since flea shampoo only works for a couple of days and only works on adult fleas. Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

These lumps are not typical of a flea allergy dermatitis. That typically is just a superficial rash with itching, hair loss, scabs, etc. These lumps are concerning. Your pet may have developed abscesses which are deeper infections that form pockets of pus or infectious fluid. This is worth a trip to the vet for a recheck. I do not feel that it is a life threatening emergency, but it should be addressed by your veterinarian as soon as regular business hours resume. Your pet may need prescription antibiotics, the lumps may need to be aspirated or checked with a needle and if they are full of pus, they should be drained. Please have your vet recheck him as soon as possible,

Hello and thank you very much for your question. Fleas can be so frustrating and I sympathize with what you were going through. What has to happen for your dog to heal and for the lump to possibly go down, Is for the itch cycle and the inflammation to be stopped. A visit to the local veterinarian is a must in this situation because they will have strong prescription strength flea preventative as well as steroids that can be given to your dog to stop the fleas and therefore the dermatitis that’s associated with their biting. I urge you not to use any further over-the-counter flea preventative or skin medications without the approval from your veterinarian. This will only delay the healing and may exacerbate the problem. The lump should go down with time as long as the fleas are killed and the inflammation of the skin is controlled. But, if the lamp does not go away within the next two months, you may want to have your veterinarian take a biopsy of it just to see if it is indeed even related to the fleas. Does that make sense? I appreciate you reaching out to our service. I hope I’ve helped you today.

Based on these photos, it does appear there is a little dot at the center of the lump, and you could be correct that this is some sort of insect bite. I would watch this lump over the next week or two. As long as it is slowly getting smaller, then I would not be concerned, however, if there is no change over the next couple of weeks, or it is getting bigger, firm, red, or painful, then seek veterinary attention. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Usually ant bites don't cause skin lesions on dogs, but any insect bite could look like this if the dog is sensitive. These also look like they might be papules secondary to a bacterial skin infection. Juvenile pyoderma, or a staph skin infection is very common in puppies and might not require treatment if it is not bothering the dog. If Nova is not itchy I think you could simply monitor - if these spots have not resolved in 3 weeks, if you see more or if Nova seems to be licking or scratching her belly I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Bear regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.

It does sound that is a flea you saw. It is not uncommon for puppies to have fleas and have scabs and bumps from scratching from the irritation of a flea bite. You can try a bath in baby shampoo or dawn dish soap as this help kills fleas on puppies to young for flea shampoos and flea prevention. You can gently brush the scab to loosen the debris and apply Neosporin to it when dry. You can talk to your vet about proper flea control base on his age and weight to prevent this in the future