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My dog has red bald spots on his tail & belly. What can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 9 years and 8 months old | 25 lbs

My dog has a bald spot that is very angry red at the base of his tail. Hos belly has minor redness. He has had flea treatment from the vet. I have a picture if that helps. What can I do for the poor guy?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amber Da Silva, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 13th, 2017

It sounds like he could have allergies. Allergies commonly cause redness of the skin and can affect pretty much any part of the body. If there is also flaking, crusting, itching or an odor, those are signs that the skin is infected. Infection can be from yeast or bacteria or sometimes a combination of the two. It could also be a parasite on the skin such as mites. I would recommend taking him to your veterinarian for a skin scraping. This is where they take a sample from the surface of the skin and look at it under the microscope. This way they can determine the cause and know how best to treat it. Until then, you can try a topical triple antibiotic ointment and some hydrocortisone to see if that will give him some relief. I hope this helps and that Bob gets feeling better soon!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 25th, 2017

    This could be a sign of an allergy, external parasites like fleas, or even mange. I'd recommend having your veterinarian examine the area during a flare up. Taking a sample to look for mites or bacteria might be recommended.

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