Why is my dog licking red, crusty, spreading patches on his leg?

Question

My dog has c shaped red marks on his hind leg. They have a little bit of crusting and he occasionally licks them. At first thought they were scratches but they have gotten larger and more red over the past two weeks. Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 2 years and 4 months old | 55 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

The most common reason that we will see circular or semi-circular rings or crusts in a dog is a superficial bacterial skin infection. These areas typically start as a small bump which ruptures and forms a crust. That crust can spread and form a large area of hair loss with crusting around the edge. We can also see fungal infections that will have this same behavior. In order to determine what is causing the problem, your vet can so some simple skin tests and look at a sample under the microscope to make a diagnosis and determine the best treatment for Cooper. There are topical medications like wipes and shampoos that we will sometimes use or other times an oral medication is needed. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Why is my dog licking red, crusty, spreading patches on his leg?

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