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My dog has blackheads, lumps, and hair loss. What can I do to help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 70 lbs

My dog have what seems to be black heads on the sides of his stomach I’ve been trying to pick at them then they leave holes then there’s these lumps that have released puss I’ve tried giving him several baths but it’s gotten worse and now he’s missing patches of hair what could it be and what could help ?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on March 5th, 2019

Dogs can get blackheads and clogged pores just like humans. Picking and squeezing them often lead to increased inflammation and can lead to infection so I recommend to leave them alone. There is not one easy solution to get rid of pore issues. You do want to improve skin health and this can be done by feeding a diet aimed at skin health and adding additional omega-3 fatty acids for dogs to the diet. The two diets I recommend for skin health are Royal Canin and Nutro. You are not likely to find an over-the-counter shampoo that can flush the pores but your veterinarian likely carries one like Peroxiderm. Lastly, your veterinarian will also carry medicated wipes that you can use on the area that are safe if Rhino happens to look at them, although you should prevent Rhino from licking these areas in general. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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