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Why is my dog getting scabs on her back and underarms after fleas?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 8 lbs

My pup has a ton of scabs all around her upper back, underarms, & neck area. She has only 1 on her lower half (3rd pic), but the fleas did not discriminate against any place on her body. She had a bad bout of fleas for about 2 wks (flea shampoo/spray didn't work & very recently Capstar oral + K9 Advantix topical medicine did), but she's only started to develop these scabs recently. Could it be from all of the scratching (but the underarms?) or mites? No hair loss.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 11th, 2017

I am sorry to hear about Zoe. It is quite possible she has a secondary skin infection as a result of the flea infestation. Some dogs are very sensitive to flea bites and can have an allergy reaction result from them, predisposing the skin to secondary bacterial and yeast infection. The little circular patches of dead skin are what we call epidermal collarettes and are a sign of this skin infection. I would recommend your pup get examined by a vet because most often this requires treatment with an antibiotic and if she is still itching a short course of steroids or a drug called apoquel to get the itch under control. They can also be sure she doesn't have yeast or fungus growing on the skin that requires treatment.

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    Answered By Steve Popish, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Looks suspicious of a allergic skin reaction to fleas with secondary bacterial infection. Fairly common with this type of flea bite dermatitis. Quite possible your Zoe may be allergic to other things too, but treating the fleas is a good place to start treating the problem. I would recommend a visit to your local veterinarian to check the skin, possibly run a few tests to rule out parasites including mites, and treat the itching as well as the secondary infection. We have some great medications to treat skin problems now, as well as specific shampoos and other topical therapy that will help keep it in check. Please reach out to me with a consult if you have further questions, For now, thank you for your question and good luck with Zoe. Steve Popish, DVM

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