Why does my dog have a dark skin spot and sparse hair growth?

Question

I was petting my dog when I noticed a spot on his fur where his skin was a darker color and hair growth was sparse. It is not on a large area of his body but I just noticed this spot, what is it? Also he is a German shepherd chow mix. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | 60 lbs

David Darvishian · Accepted Answer

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Bingo is having this problem. Hair loss and a darkening of the skin are often signs of dermatitis or inflammation/infection of the skin in that area. Not sure where the area is from the pictures. Reasons for this include external parasites (fleas, ticks, mites), allergies, thyroid problems, bacterial infections, etc. The best option is to take Bingo to your veterinarian and let them evaluate him. They can either advise treatment at that point or advise some skin tests (skin scrape, fungal culture, Woods lamp exam, etc) to determine the cause. The location of the area is important as well as what is noticed upon examining the area. Good luck with Bingo and I hope this gives you some direction to getting him over this.

Why does my dog have a dark skin spot and sparse hair growth?

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