My dog has dark, scaly, bald spots on her back. What could it be?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 8 years and 9 months old | 28 lbs
My 8 year old CKCS (spayed female) has developed two circular, dark ,scaly, bald patches on her back in the past few weeks. One spot has grown its hair back, however, the skin is still very dark. The other spot is dark an d scaly without any sign of hair growth. The spots are dime sized.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 3rd, 2018
Thanks for posting on the forum! Focal alopecia (local hair loss) can be a sign associated to different skin diseases. The most common are: Demodicosis (parasitic infection), dermatophytosis (fungal infection), scars, medication application site, alopecia areata (uncommon). I would suggest to have Maya checked by your veterinarian as further test are needed to make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment, if needed. Your vet might perform a skin scrape to check for parasite and collect a sample to exclude a fungal infection; further test might be needed depending on the results of the ones mentioned. If those basic tests are negative, a biopsy and a allergy testing under general anaesthetic/sedation might need to be performed. Do not hesitate to post again on the forum or request a consultation if you would like to discuss it any further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 8th, 2018
Poor Lily. If you already tried many different medication without success is probably because the skin disease doesn't have a name yet! I would suggest not to try any other therapy but to try to diagnose the disease. Focal alopecia (hair loss) can be a sign associated to different skin diseases. The most common are: Demodicosis (parasitic infection), dermatophytosis (fungal infection), immuno-mediated diseases, medication application site, alopecia areata (uncommon). Further test are needed to make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. Your vet might perform a skin scrape to check for parasite and collect a sample to exclude a fungal infection; further test might be needed depending on the results of the ones mentioned. If those basic tests are negative, a biopsy and a allergy testing under general anaesthetic/sedation might need to be performed to reach the diagnosis. I would suggest to refer to a veterinarian specialist in dermatology because Lily's case seems quite challenging. Good luck and do not hesitate to post again on the forum or request a consultation if you would like to discuss it any further. I hope this answer was helpful.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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