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My dog has red, patchy bumps with pus. Is it staph? What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 11 months old | 5 lbs

My dog has pimple like bumps that have green or yellow pus in them. It’s red but it’s patchy.. what is it and what ca I do?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 24th, 2018

Hello. This sounds like Chip has a bit of a staph infection going on. If he is not bothered by the lesions by licking, biting or chewing his skin, then I would try bathing him to try & clear this up. Using a dog shampoo containing 2-4% chlorhexidine has been very effective in controlling skin infections without the use of oral or injectable antibiotics. Many are available online or in the bigger pet stores. The key is to bathe Chip at least twice weekly for 4-6 weeks, & leave the shampoo on for at least 10 minutes before rinsing. This is usually curative. If any of the lesions seem to e enlarging or non-healing, please see your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 19th, 2019

    Hello. It looks like Leviathan has a very small staph infection in the skin, not uncommon in an area that is as delicate as this is. I would pick up a skin antiseptic like Hibiclens at any pharmacy & gently clean the area twice a day. It should clear up in about a week, but if it does seem to be getting worse, please see your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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