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My dog's back has a worsening, bloody spot. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Female | unspayed | 11 months old | 60 lbs

How serious could this be? And what could this be? She can't reach this spot on her back and it has consistently gotten worse and more and more bloody.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rebecca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 7th, 2017

It's difficult to tell from your pictures what this is, but it does appear that it may be infected. Even if she can't reach it to lick or chew, if it is itchy or painful she may be scratching it with a foot or even rubbing on the ground or furniture to scratch it. I would recommend a vet visit to assess the spot and determine what it may be. If it is getting larger it could be a mass or growth, or infection/hotspot that requires antibiotics. The vet may clip away the hair from the lesion and possibly do a cytology to find out what type of cells or infection are present. From there appropriate treatment can be determined.

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on

    It is hard to tell from the pictures what could be going on. The second picture looks like a scab was pulled off. Possibilities for this skin problem include fleas, mange, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. If you can, I would clip the hair from the area and clean it with a first aid chlorhexidine soap. If it gets worse or has not shown improvement in 48 hours, or if you find additional lesions, I recommend that Loki see a vet for diagnosis. She may need antibiotics or prescription topical medications to help it to heal.

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