What causes itchy lumps with black specs on my dog's skin and tail?

Question

My 2 yr old pup is getting little lumps on his underbelly and right above his tail. The lumps have little black specs on them. Not fleas or tics. Been making him miserably itchy.. Any idea what it might be? Thanks in advance. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 2 years old | 29 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

It sounds as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas.   The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc.   The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too.    I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

What causes itchy lumps with black specs on my dog's skin and tail?

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