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Why is my dog's stomach and chest red with a stubborn brown spot?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltipoo | Female | spayed | 7.5 lbs

Hello, recently my dog's skin has turned red at her stomach and chest area. Her back is fine. There's also a brown spot (the photo). I thought it was dirt but I can't clean it off. Any idea what's going on?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on January 13th, 2020

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 7th, 2019

    This looks like it may be an allergic reaction of some sort, but it is difficult to tell from the photos. He should be examined by a veterianarian for confirmation. In the meantime, [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone) may help on the reddened areas and could relieve any itching. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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