My dog has a spot on his side. Is it contagious? How do I treat it?

Oh wow! poor Shadow. This looks like a severe bacterial or fungal infection. I would have your vet take a look at it ASAP so they can determine the cause. The vet will be able to get him started on the proper meds and anti-inflammatory meds to help him feel better. I don't know if it is contagious since I do not know exactly what it is. Your vet will be able to tell you more after a diagnosis. They may recommend a biopsy if it isn't improving which will give them more insight as to what it is and how to treat it. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better soon!

This lesion could indicate a local bacteria infection, possibly ringworm, an insect bite, or just an area of rotation of unknown cause. You could continue to monitor if you feel comfortable and if it does not go away within a few days I would reconsider seeing your veterinarian to ensure it's nothing contagious like ringworm. However if it starts to grow, bleed, become raised, or seems painful it should be seen sooner. In the meantime you could consider cleaning it with a very mild soap and warm water and keeping it clean and dry during the day. As there is a possibility it could be ringworm wash your hands thoroughly after handling the site.

Ring worm is a possibility and is contagious to both people and other animals. There is no way to be certain from the photos. Your vet can check it with a woods lamp to see if it reacts or do a culture to confirm it. It may be a reaction from a tick or allergy that is also causing those spots You can try to keep the spot clean and apply a topical antifubgal until you get the seen to be safe

Hi, and thanks for your question. Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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!

i am sorry to hear about your dog! It is very difficult to evaluate the skin by a photograph but it appears there is a defect/wound in the skin here? I would be concerned that this was an abscess that ruptures, a wound that isn't healing and is infected, or we could have something like a cuterebra (a fly larvae that lives in a hole in the skin- look closely and see if you see a tiny creature moving inside the hole!). I would recommend a visit to your vet- the area may need to be flushed/cleaned and have antibiotics prescribed. In the meantime, I would put an e-collar on your dog or a t-shirt if it would be covered by this to prevent your dog from licking/aggravating the skin. You can also clean the area with a mild soap or Hibiclens (available at the drug store) and apply an antibiotic ointment like polysporin to the area until your vet can see him.

With her age I would worry about a ringworm or an infection or mange that is causing that lesion. Ring worm can be contagious to both people and other animals. You can keep Neosporin on the area to keep it clean until you can get to the vet to be checked for sure.

I can understand your concern here. This appears to be either a severe inflammatory reaction or a skin tumor, and it can either be a benign (non-cancerous) tumor or a malignant (cancerous) tumor. The only way to determine which is likely is to have your vet take samples of the tumor/mass and send it off to the lab. The area also appears to be infected, in which case a short course of antibiotics will be needed. Because of the large area that it covers it likely can't be surgically removed but there may be other treatment option available through a veterinary oncologist referral if it does indeed come back as a cancerous tumors. This does not appear to be anything that is contagious to people, but again having it tested is the next best step. I hope that everything works out for your pet Princess. Best wishes and take care.

Oh no, poor Jax! It looks like he might have ringworm, which is a highly contagious fungal infection. Unfortunately it's contagious to humans, and if you are itching too, he may have passed it onto you. I would have him seen by a vet tomorrow. If he does have ringworm, the vet can prescribe medication to treat it. You should also go see your doctor if he has it so you can get treatment for it as well. Should he have ringworm, you will need to disinfect the environment because the spores can live in the home for up to 18 months. I will put a link below on how to do this: http://www.livestrong.com/article/49666-rid-home-ringworm/

That looks like it could be an infection or it could be from ringworm or allergies. This is something that should be checked out by a vet so it can be diagnosed and treated properly. Give your vet a call to make an appointment for your puppy. Best of luck.

This looks like a nasty bacterial or fungal infection. In order to determine whether it is contagious, one would have to culture a swab and determine the germ that is causing this. Your veterinarian can and should do this. Please take Pablo to your veterinarian soon for an exam.