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Why does my dog have new dark spots and red, irritated belly skin?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Great Pyrenees | Female | spayed | 100 lbs

Large dark spots have appeared on her belly (there weren't any there before) and the skin on her belly also appears red and irritated.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on October 25th, 2017

Poor Hanuli! Sometimes their skin on their belly will become darker as they age but with the redness it could indication an allergy or an infection. You can try giving 100mg Benadryl (4 adult tablets) twice a day to see if that helps. If it isn’t improving or worsens then I would have your vet look at it. Your vet will be able to prescribe stronger allergy meds or even antibiotics if needed. I hope this helps!

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2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 5th, 2020

    Poor girl. These red spots are certainly areas that indicate an allergic reaction on her skin. This could be something she came into contact with that is causing her skin to break out. I would monitor these areas for now and possibly try some Benadryl to see if this can help these areas resolve. Here is a link on how to properly use Benadryl in dogs and dose amounts --> https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/benadryl/ If the skin outbreak is still present in the morning, or if she starts to act really lethargic, then it is best to get her seen by your vet or any one available right away for a full evaluation. However, this most likely is a skin reaction. Best of luck with your puppy Ellie and I hope that her skin reaction resolves soon! Take care.

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    4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 13th, 2018

    This is usually due to hyperpigmentation caused by chronic inflammation of the skin. This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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