My dog has a persistent rash or hot spot on her belly. What is it?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 25 lbs
My canine has what looks like a hot spot on her belly. It has been there for about 3 weeks. I initially thought it to be a rash. Now it is peaking slightly around the edges. I’m not sure what’s going on. It does not seem to bother her.
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 8th, 2020
That spot on Fiona could be several things including allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). 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 does not start 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.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on January 20th, 2019
Bella's lesions could be a few things like bacterial infection or just significant inflammation. Sometimes there is an underlying component like allergies but sometimes it's a singular issue. Skin mites or ringworm might look like this but it's an uncommon presentation. At home you can try washing the area once daily with hand soap or a medicated dog shampoo. Rinse it well. This will help to keep the dead skin cells and bacteria removed. I hope this at least points you in the right direction. Please post again with any further questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on November 27th, 2017
Bella could have a yeast or bacterial infection, a skin parasite, fleas, allergies to the environment or food, or even something more serious like an autoimmune problem (although that is much less likely). If it started when you changed foods, I think it's very reasonable to switch her back to her old food to see if the problem goes away. If not, I would recommend having her skin tested for yeast, bacteria, and parasites. Make sure she's on a good flea preventive (Bravecto and Nexgard are working best for me right now, the oral options generally work a bit better than the topical ones.) If she's itching herself, she probably needs to go back to the vet sooner than later to get some medications. I hope Bella is back to normal soon!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 21st, 2017
Poor Bella! This looks like a hotspot. Hot spots occur when an animal scratches or chews at an area until damage is done to the skin. They can often progress very quickly and become quite severe if not treated. If the area is continuing to enlarge or if Bella seems uncomfortable I would recommend that you have her seen by your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may clip and clean the area and prescribe medications to help it heal. In the meantime I would recommend that you try to prevent Bella from scratching at the area.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on February 29th, 2020
From the photos it appears as though Bella could have dermatitis with a possible secondary skin infection. If she was bathed recently and water was trapped in between the skin folds, this could have been the culprit. I would recommend starting hydrocortisone spray. You can find Well & Good Hydrocortisone spray at Petco and apply this 2-3 times per day until you can get Bella seen by a veterinarian. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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