What is this strange spot or bump I found on my dog's skin recently?

Lesions like those in the pictures can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. In dogs like yours with hair loss and itchiness, one common cause can be infection by mites that can live in the hair follicles and lead to hair loss, and secondary bacterial and fungal infections that can develop. I recommend making an appointment to have your dog seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the hair loss as soon as you can. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area (taken by a procedure known as a skin scraping) and examined under the microscope to determine what kind(s) of infection may be present and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. I hope that helps!

The bald spots and pimples may indicate minor infection or may be a symptom of a broader underlying condition. Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the condition addressed by your veterinarian to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. Young dogs can get skin infections, commonly referred to as 'puppy pyoderma'. This usually occurs on the belly and inside the hind legs. This type of infection usually resolves without treatment as the puppy gets older. [*Staph* infections](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/staphylococcal-pyoderma-1/) are common in dogs of all ages and may requires antibiotic therapy to treat. In pets of all ages, [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/flea-allergy/), [food allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/food-allergies/) and [environmental allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-allergies-vs-environmental-allergies-whats-the-difference) (contact or inhaled) can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin or cause a [hot spot](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/hot-spots/). Diagnosing the cause of allergies may require [allergy testing](https://www.petcoach.co/article/allergy-testing-immunotherapy-in-dogs) and [food elimination trials](https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-trials-for-allergies-in-pets-what-to-expect). [Check for fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-check-your-pet-for-fleas-and-ticks) with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a [protein in the food](https://www.petcoach.co/article/all-about-protein-in-pet-food). Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as [prescription hypoallergenic foods](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-food/prescription-dog-food-and-treats) for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein and [novel protein](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-is-a-novel-protein-pet-food) diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

This looks like it could be an insect bite or sting, or a tick bite if they are in your area. Skin infections can also occasionally start this way. If you start to see more lesions similar to the one above, or if this bump begins to increase in size or have any discharge I would recommend having it examined by your veterinarian. If it is an insect bite it should be gone in the next 7-10 days or so. Monster is a handsome guy!

Based on your photos, it appears that Marley has a skin infection. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! If you are unable to get to a veterinarian right away, I would recommend the below following products which can be found online quite easily. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Douxo PS Calm mousse and apply once daily until resolved 3. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules and give as directed on bottle 4. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to affected area twice daily until resolved 5. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent

It's hard to tell just from the photos because many lesions will look the same despite different causes. Those spots on Mara could be several things including fleas, allergies,superficial bacterial infection or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. I do recommend to go ahead and treat for fleas just in case. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day (not her whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It may be a skin growth or cyst that is forming since it is different and lasting longer. With the thinning hair coat in some photos i would be concerned you have a skin infection that is contributing to the bumps and it is spreading and affected this hair follicle. I would have your vet check to see if it is infected as this will need antibiotics to clear it up. They can also check for any further parasites or an allergy

I don't think I'd be overly worried about this at this point in time. It could be just a follicular cyst. I suggest you just monitor it for now. If it does not go away in the next month or so, it gets larger or it starts to bother him then you should have your vet take a look at it. Hope this helps. Best wishes.