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My dog has black dots, discolored skin, and licks her genital area.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My one year-old I think she’s Pomeranian and Doschound she has developed the small patches of very dark black dots like specs but they form a little in her armpits and around her vagina and most concentrated between her vagina and her anus and he has discolored skin making it not completely black but as though someone took a pen black ink pen and just darted it all over the place Blending the color from its normal light color to kind of a dingy gray looking color and she’s constantly Licking

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3 Answers

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on December 30th, 2018

Frequent licking generally indicates irritation or infection. Licking around the genital area can also indicate a urinary tract infection. I suspect the discoloring of her skin is related to the licking although some pet's skin will darken as they mature. I would recommend to make an appointment with her vet to have her skin examined and her urine tested to make sure everything is normal. At home, you can wash the areas daily with an antibacterial soap and rinse it well - be careful not put soap in her vulva (vagina). This will help to clean off the skin. There can be many causes of skin irritation or infection including bacterial infections, environmental allergies, food allergies and flea allergies. The doctor will try to determine the cause and may prescribe some medications to decrease irritation. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 5th, 2017

    She will need hypoallergenic prescription food and you should ask your vet for some antibacterial/antifungal shampoo. In order to stop her from licking and chewing the area she will need an e-collar until the skin condition clears up and does not itch any more. If all this does not work, you need to get a referral to a veterinary dermatologist for an expert opinion and treatment.

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 28th, 2017

    Poor Colby! From the picture, it looks like a bacterial infection or fungal infection on the skin. You can try to bathe her in a chlorahexidine shampoo every other day and give her Benadryl twice a day. See link below. Also, don’t let her lick them. You can put a cone collar on her if needed. If they don’t improve or get worse or her behavior changes, I would have your vet take a look at them. Your vet will be able to determine where they are and get her started on the proper meds to make her feel better. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/

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