Why does my 8-month-old puppy have bright red spots on belly and legs?

Hi there, These appear similar to black fly bites, which appear as dramatic dark red welts, but are otherwise harmless. The skin remains smooth but may be slightly raised or swollen. Google images is helpful on this one! If the skin is itchy, crusting, flaking, and not smooth- that could be a sign of a bacterial or fungal infection that needs diagnostics and treatment. It's not an emergency, but it would be good to have Finn seen this week by his veterinarian to have them evaluated. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Phineas. There is a skin condition known as impetigo that is common in puppies. Start by bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. If the skin lesions spread, do not resolve or seem to bother him, then he will need to see his veterinarian. In this case, his veterinarian will likely perform skin tests to rule out other skin diseases. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Toby is having skin issues. Skin lesions like you are describing can have multiple causes, including an infection, skin parasites, allergies, or another underlying issue. As you are seeing discharge, he may need antibiotics. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin lesions, have any necessary testing done, and start any treatment that he may need to resolve it. Good luck!

There are several reasons this can occur. Try washing Henry with an antibacterial dog shampoo once a week. If this doesn’t help after a couple weeks or if it gets worse, have him seen by his veterinarian to check for skin mites, fungal infections (some of which humans can get) or allergies. Of course you don’t have to wait and you can have Henry checked at any point. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using PetCoach! The pictures didn’t come out very well on my end for some reason but these could be pyodermas small skin infections). This is usually due to underlying allergies. Allergies commonly appear at age 2-4 but can develope at any time. If that is the case, they are usually environmental but if you’ve switched food or added a new treat in the last few weeks, that could be a cause too. Finally, new shampoo, change in laundry soap, etc can also cause this to flare up. Treatment is topical (including medicated shampoo) or oral antibiotics and addressing underlying allergies of needed. It is also possible that these spots are mites or ringworm, insect bites, or other. Try Benedryl (see link below) and a medicated shampoo like Duoxo Calm first if you like. Bathe twice weekly during a flare up, then every 1-2 weeks for maintenance. If no improvement in a week (or worsening at any time) it’s time to see the vet for a better diagnosis and treatment. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl Best of luck to you and Oliver!

It could be that Pixie is suffering from puppy pyoderma, which is a skin infection. She could also have petechiae, which is tiny pin points of blood caused by a bleeding disorder. Without seeing her in person, there is no way I can say for certain what is cousin these red spots. The only way to know for sure is to have her seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose what is causing these spots on her skin and can treat her for it.