Lucy the Puggle Dog Has a Red Spot on Her Belly. What is It?
I know a lot of you have dogs who play outside so I’m hoping someone knows what this red spot on Lucy’s belly is. It’s bright red, flat, and I just noticed it this morning when she came inside from hanging out in the backyard sunning herself for about 20 minutes or so.
Like most dogs Lucy LOVES to roll around in the grass like a weirdo and exploring the backyard but this is the first time I’ve ever seen any sort of spot on her. The spot is so bright it’s almost like a Kool-Aid or Sharpie stain.
I did a quick google image search and couldn’t find anything similar. It’s just a random red spot so I’m thinking maybe some sort of bug bite… or maybe it’s something else. I don’t know. Help! Lucy the Puggle Dog has a red spot on her belly. Do you know what it is?
What do you think?
Is this worthy of a call to the vet or is it something totally simple that I don’t know about. Help!
~ Mavis
More stories about life with Lucy can be found HERE.
Jen L A says
Hmmmm. Tough one. I would say bug bite, or possibly “hot spot” with allergies. Definitely don’t let her lick it. I would put some neosporin on it and again don’t let her lick that. If it gets worse, go to the vet to eliminate worry. Puppy love.
Amanda says
It looks like a flea bite. What is that spot next to it? Is it a flea?
Rosaleen says
Well, you COULD keep an eye on it, but your Puggle Princess can’t tell you if she has a fever, body/joint aches, headache, etc. You may be able to see lethargy or stiff movements, and you MAY be able to take her temperature. I don’t have a pet, so this is all guess work. We live in an area famous for having a lot of ticks so that would be my first concern. Next, I’d consider a spider bite. It may be neither. You have to decide. Would your vet advise you whether to come in or hold off?
Sorry to be of little help,
Cindy says
Please have it looked at by vet. Diagnosing a photo on the internet by random people isn’t the best idea. And if you try treating it yourself you can potentially make it worse and harder for a vet to diagnose. There are a lot of home remedies that work great for things like hot spots, but you need to be sure what it is first. I had a friend self diagnose her dog with mange and starting using home remedies on it when in fact it was a staff infection and the dog needed antibiotics.
Alina says
Not everyone can afford to go to the vet for everything, this is obviously why they ask on here first. Keep that in mind
Jeannie says
I’d say vet check…could be a fungus (like ringworm) or bad spider bite?
Cindi says
If it is moist I would say hot spot, but it’s an odd place for it. Best to have the vet check it out. If she seems okay otherwise, maybe wait overnight and see if it is still there tomorrow.
Vicki says
Is she itching or licking it? I was think the same thing bug bite or hot spot. My Bella has allergies, and has to take benadryl. She had a spot on her side last year from a bug bite that was red. I would take Lucy to the vet. Sometimes treating it yourself just seems to make it worse. I wouldn’t give her Benadryl unless told by the vet.
Jeanie says
Agreed! It drives me nuts when people act like taking their dog or cat to the vet is an afterthought. It is a pet owner’s responsibility to care for them. Not that Mabel is not caring for Lucy…I think Lucy is a lucky girl!
Kathy says
Who is this Mabel and why has she got Mavis’ Lucy???
Jeanie says
Haha!!! My phone autocorrected. Guess it didn’t know Mavis was a name…but it sure thought it could be Mabel!!
Jeanie says
Have it looked at. It did not look the same, but we just had a mast cell tumor removed from the inside of our lab’s ear. They are extremely fatal. We caught it early because we are always loving on him and petting his ears. I know tumors can vary.
Our Shadow had to have a large portion of this ear excised so that they could get clear margins and now he is cancer free.
Kerry says
I have a French Mastiff, and he gets these similar looking spots off and on for unknown reasons. The sores have been diagnosed as a type of “yeast” infection. It is a skin infection that requires an antiseptic type soap and when it is large and painful also some oral medications are required. I would be hard to say for sure if it is the same thing from a photo. When he first started getting them it was a surprise how quickly it grew larger (and more painful). Check with your vet of course… But that is my best guess.
lynne says
it does look like a bite of some kind. I would just let it be for a day or two, and if it seems to bother her, or gets more inflamed, then bring her in. maybe some lavender oil if it seems inflamed at all. LynneinMN
Lesley says
I’m with Lynne. Watch it for a day or two. Can Lucy reach it with her tongue? There are magical healing properties in the tongues of our pups … of that I’m certain!
Katy says
You have a pretty great photo of it. email that over to the vet and see what they think.
Jessica says
Maybe it is a solar-induced hemangioma……?
I have heard of dogs getting these with sun exposure, but I don’t have any experience with them. I’m not a vet, so maybe check with one over the phone. I can call my vet’s office, explain any symptoms, and they will ask the vet and call me back with whether or not I should take my dog in or let me know how to treat it from home if it doesn’t require a visit.
Best of luck to you and your precious Lucy!
Maria Zannini says
As bright red as it is, it looks like a hot spot. Have you seen her lick, bite, or scratch that area? Hot spots aren’t uncommon but they can spiral out of control if not treated. Basically, it’s a bacterial infection.
Shave the area, wash it well and treat with any dog-friendly Neosporin and anti itch cream. There are lots of products on the market to help with pain and itching. For the first couple of days you might have to clean it several times a day. The important thing is to keep her from chewing that spot.
I’d watch it for a day or two. If it gets worse the vet can prescribe Prednisone and antibiotics.
If she’s not bothering it, it might be just a bug bite, but trimming the fur will give you a better idea.
James Rancourt says
I’d send a pic to….Dr. Andrew Jones – http://www.theinternetpetvet.com. He is excellent!
Angela Muller says
I would rather have it checked by a vet. If it is something that could potentially get worse, early intervention is key. We are all just guessing, but the vet will know. Good luck!
Vicky says
Hi,
Looks like a “hot spot” . We get them on our dogs and we use Sulfodene, a First Aid Skin Medication For Dogs.
An over the counter med found in any drug store.
Shave the area and apply the Sulfodene , it’s oily, and in a day of two it should be gone.
Jay Owens says
Chigger bite.
KAte says
Not very likely in the PNW.
Linda says
I would have it checked. Could be from a tick. I dont know of you have deer ticks but theyvdo leave ref marks and can carry Lyme disease. When in doubt get things checked
Vicki B. says
I’m in the “have it checked” group. It’s so hard to say what it could be – possibly a bug bite or maybe she was bitten by something else in the yard that you may not have seen. Is there a lump under it? It could be an abscess, which can happen from a bug bite as well as a critter bite. It also looks like it could be ringworm. Even if it’s just a hot-spot, they’re caused by something, so you need to get to the root of the problem to treat it. Good luck with Lucy!
Kristin says
A few months ago my chihuahua had a red bite that suddenly appeared on his stomach. It ended up being a spider bite. No clue how he even got it as he isn’t an outside dog. I would check with your vet just in case. I think it is an insect bite though.
Lilly says
I say wait a day and see if it gets better. If it’s bothering her take her in to get it checked but otherwise it looks pretty minor and waiting a day won’t hurt her.
peggyk says
You love your Puzzle Princess! Why would you even hesitate for something like this. Who knows what it is. If it’ something benign then lesson learned but if not. You would be heartbroken if something happened to our Lucy Puggle9 I live for her daily pics!!!!). It’s only a vet’s visit.
Stacy says
Ours had one like this on her neck and we think it was either from getting poked with a stick, or a bug bite. We put antibiotic ointment on it (she could not lick that area) and it reduced in size each day. Hers felt like it had a little lump under it, that also reduced in size drastically each day. Keep an eye on it, if it gets bigger or doesn’t go away, then call a vet.
Jill Rozell says
I have been reading these as my Pug mix has one too. It doesn’t bother him. After reading the stick comment I remember on our walk I stepped on a stick that shot the other end up under him. He yelped. I felt terrible. Didn’t see anything at the time. But now realize the bright red spot is in that vicinity. I’m going with the stick theory unless it gets worse or bothers him.
Danielle says
My dog gets spots just like that when he is bitten by a tick that decided not to latch on for some reason, or after it falls off. Flat, bright red, angry looking spots! They usually shrink and disappear within a few days.
Beth says
Please let us know how she is doing.
Deb says
Could be a yeast infection, caused by fleas or food or any assortment of things. She may need a allergy shot… take some Apple cider vinegar and it to a cup of water and spray it on the spot… I will keep her from licking and help heal it. Take her to the vet.. she should be fine
Earlene says
I live in the midwest, but it looks like a tick bite to me.
Leslie says
Mavis- super curious about this. Any follow up? #puggleproblems
Kirsten says
It’s a gnat bite. My dog gets them when our grass is too long outside and also when we go hiking around water. It fades and will look like a bruise briefly then disappear.
It she starts licking and itching it I would be more concerned but if she pays no attention to it, it will fade quick.
Max says
Was there an update on this? I’m a new dog owner, and my dog has developed what looks like exactly the same spot.
Annie says
My dog has two if these. I think it is a tic bite. If it is my doodle will need antibiotics.
Rae Sikora says
Our dogs get them, it is not ticks, or ringworm or any of the guesses above. It is an insect bite and it will be gone in a day or two. They do not itch, the dogs dont lick them. We are in the Southwest.
Sarah says
My dog has something similar on his body and I can’t figure out what it is. Have you taken Lucy to the vet? Do they know what it is?