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My dog has a bald patch on her tail. What could be the cause?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pug | Female | spayed | 9 years and 2 months old | 14.5 lbs

Hi my 9 year old pug has developed a bit of a bald patch on her tail She's fit and well so just curious for an opinion as why this could appear

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on January 9th, 2020

That lesion on Lily could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day (not her whole body, just the lesion). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesion is not improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 31st, 2019

    This looks more like a bacterial infection of the skin. But it could also be a mite problem. It will need to be tested to be sure. I would recommend scheduling an appt with your vet soon to get this looked at. Until you can get her seen its best to just clean the area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to antiseptically cleanse the area. Best of luck with your pet Lily moving forward. I hope that her skin issue resolves soon! Take care.

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