My dog has new black spots on his belly. Are they normal or flea dirt?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

  Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

  Published on August 2nd, 2018

  Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is most likely allergies with a secondary infection which may be bacterial, yeast or most likely a combination. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. The hydrocortisone is not likely to help much in this case as the inciting factor would not be dealt with that way. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

  

  4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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  Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

  Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

  Published on July 1st, 2019

  Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is classic for flea allergy dermatitis. However, it could also be due to other types of allergies such as environmental allergies or food allergies. For that reason, I recommend you consider having him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. They may check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Best of luck!

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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  Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

  Veterinarian

  Published on September 30th, 2019

  This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Lucky regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful