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Help! My puppy has a rash under its armpit. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 23 lbs

I have a puppy pitbull with a little rash on the armpit.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 1st, 2017

Hi there and thank you for your post! Thank you for the pictures as they are quite helpful in determining what is going on. It appears that Smoke may have an inflammatory skin condition called dermatitis. This could also be the start of a skin infection so I would monitor it for signs of worsening and take Smoke in to see your vet if it is not improving or if it is worsening. This area is a common area we see rashes develop due to the accumulation of moisture in between skin folds and chaffing that occurs in this region. One thing you can use to help lessen the occurrence of this is an over the counter product called Bio Balm. I would use this to prevent this from occurring. It is a safe natural product to use. If this does not improve, again, I would have Smoke seen by your veterinarian for further treatment. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on

    Poor Smoke. That area looks like it could be a scrape of some type. I've seen puppies get areas like that if they get their leash under their armpits on walks. I presume he does not have anything else on his skin that you have noticed, so I might just start with cleaning it with a gentle soap and cool water. Make sure you keep him from licking at it since that will make it worse. (You might consider putting a small T-shirt on him to keep him from licking at it.) If it is starting to ooze or get larger, you might need to have him seen for topical or oral treatment, but hopefully he will be able to heal on his own without needing further treatment. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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