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Dog has black oily spots on nipples & private area. Home treatment?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | unspayed | 5 years and 8 months old | 9 lbs

While petting my dog’s belly, I noticed black spots on her nipples and much more of the same spots around her vagina. She licks her private area often, and has also developed slight aggression to that area being touched. The spots are black and oily, cannot be removed by just wiping, but can be individually pulled out (like hair follicles) by tweezers. There doesn’t seem to be any other affected area - her ears are clean. What is this? Can it be treated at home? Please help.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 13th, 2019

These look like they are probably blackheads/comedones. https://www.petinsuranceu.com/comedone-syndrome-in-dogs/ Most of the time this can be treated at home with a benzoyl peroxide shampoo designed for dogs. Here's a great one: https://www.amazon.com/DermaPet-Benzoyl-Peroxide-Shampoo-DermaBenSS/dp/B00JBCGQNS/ref=sm_n_ma_dka_US_pr_ran_0_0?adId=B00JBCGQNS&creativeASIN=B00JBCGQNS&linkId=e62eca48c814102998ed6a0ec5b5b13f&tag=consumadvoca-20&linkCode=w43&ref-refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.petinsuranceu.com%2Fcomedone-syndrome-in-dogs%2F&slotNum=0&imprToken=786O2r4KrtUEdPZP8q0xkQ&adType=smart&adMode=manual&adFormat=grid&impressionTimestamp=1555519537984 If she is licking at them a lot, or seems bothered in these areas, have her examined by your vet, as sometimes secondary bacterial infections can develop. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

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