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Why is my dog losing hair on his back? Is it ringworm or a hot spot?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 10 years and 2 months old | 85 lbs

My dog has one patch of hair missing off his back. It looks kind of like ring worm. What else could it be?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 5th, 2019

That looks more like a really inflamed “hot spot” to me. Put an ecollar on him so he can’t lick at it, and take him to your vet. He may need oral antibiotics and a prescription topical treatment. If you are unable to get him to a vet, use the ecollar as I mentioned, and try this product:https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-hydrocortison-cream Thanks for asking PetCoach!

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