My dog's armpit skin is dark and licked. Is it an allergy or hot spot?

Question

My boxer has had what looked like a hot spot on his left underarm, it has since changed to hyper-pigmented. My roommates dog licks his armpit a lot and other dogs at the dog park lick that area. Not sure if it is an allergy, if the licking is causing it, or something else? I’ve been putting Vaseline kinda of moisturizers on it to keep the area from rubbing together. Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Male | neutered | 69 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. The presence of skin that has darkened like this is due to the production of melanin in the skin. This is similar to our darkening that occurs from sun exposure, but in Tucker's case, it is probably from chronic irritation. While the Vaseline might be soothing, it is also not helping much, especially if this is due to some kind of allergy. On top of that, many dogs can develop an ongoing & chronic skin infection, too. The only way to clear this up is to see your veterinarian who can start Tucker on the proper treatment to clear this up as much as possible. I do hope you can have him seen soon & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's armpit skin is dark and licked. Is it an allergy or hot spot?

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