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Why does my dog have recurring red spots he won't stop licking?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 6 years and 3 months old | 19 lbs

My dog has a huge red spot on his inner left side and a small red spot on his belly. We were told to change his food and put medication on it. We did both it we away but it's back because our dog has licked in that spot again. Any ideas what it actually might be?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Elva Ma DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 14th, 2018

Hello, and thank you for your question. A recurring hot spot may be caused by a stubborn bacterial infection, or underlying allergies, or both. Did you keep Dewey on the new diet for a minimum of 8 weeks, with no other treats or table scraps, and did the spot come back after you stopped the food? If so, he may have a food allergy and need to stay on a hypoallergenic diet for life. It is also possible he may need something stronger than a topical antibiotic. I would take Dewey back the vet within the next 2-3 days and discuss if he should be on an oral antibiotic for a longer time period, if they suspect a stubborn bacterial infection. They may also want to conduct other tests such as a skin scraping or fungal culture, to rule out other causes of itchy red skin (e.g. mites, ringworm). In the meantime, I would put an e-collar (cone) on Dewey to ensure he does not further damage the skin. I hope this helps, and that your pup is feeling better soon!

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