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My dog has a neck sore with hair loss. Can I treat it at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 3 years and 2 months old | 12 lbs

I just noticed this sore on Dukes neck , he has hair loss above and below it , i put triple antibiotic ointment on it due to the fact I can't go to a vet right now, I have no idea what it is , could he have been bitten by a spider? Or did it by scratching. I just want to make sure he's ok .. he's been with me the whole time and sleeps with me so I can't think of what had happened..

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 4th, 2017

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often gets trapped under their collar and/or loose skin. It appears to be minor, so you can try a couple of things at home to get clear the infection. 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesion(s). There may be more than one of these. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take him to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

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