Today I was playing around with my dog and picked him up under his front armpits and he started to cry. When I put him down I noticed there was blood on my hand. The blood also had a mild smell to it. I looked where I touched him and under his armpit, (between where his leg meets his chest) there was a bloody rash. (that is the only way I can explain it.)

I looked his leg on the opposite side and it looked like there was the same rash except much smaller and not bloody at all.

He is up to date on his frontline, although I did miss a dose last month, and I gave him a bath yesterday. (if this could do anything).

Please does anybody know what this could be? I do not get payed until this friday, so I will be unable to take him to the vet until then.

Thanks for any help!

EDIT: Also the hair is missing where the rash is!!! Is this part of the rash?!! or does hair not appear in the armpit area.

Sounds like it could be "hot spots" maybe? Which is an allergy type reaction. I would call your vet and see if you can get him in and maybe give them a post dated check.
I do not think this is something that should wait since it is bloody and smells a bit.

 Quote: carol boche

Sounds like it could be "hot spots" maybe? Which is an allergy type reaction. I would call your vet and see if you can get him in and maybe give them a post dated check.
I do not think this is something that should wait since it is bloody and smells a bit.

Matt, Carol is 100% correct. Whether the smell is yeast or other fungus, or bacterial infection from breaking the skin with scratching, allowing bacteria to enter the wounds, he has to see the vet.

I do understand $$ worries, but this is not a do-it-youself situation right now. Indeed it may be allergies, but that infection, whether it's yeast or bacteria or a combination, needs to be looked at.

I agree that the vet might accept a deposit or a post-dated check. I would call, explain the situation, and ask.

P.S. There a place with no hair in the armpit area (on all of my dogs, anyway, including the GSD).

Hi Matthew - what Carol and Connie said.

Once you work your way past this immediate situation, what do you feed? We fought random "hot spots" on our elder beagle for about 5 years. Always to the vet, always steroid shots of some type, always anti-bacterial ointment, always the "lamp shade" to keep him from licking it. Switching to a raw diet has (knock on wood - it's been over a year though) completely eliminated this problem for him.

If the issue is allergy related, but the allergen is not food related (i.e. environmental) then a change of diet might make less of a difference. But IMO, spending a little more money on the food, and less money at the vet, and having a more comfortable and happy dog is the process has been a winning decision for us.

QUESTION FOR THE EXPERTS: I have been told that coconut butter (oil?) applied topically to hot spots, regardless of cause, is effective in helping clear things up. Any opinions or experience with that? If so, what exact coconut butter/oil are you using?

I'm interested in this potential "natural" remedy that I heard about, not so much for alergy related hot spots, but general scrapes and such (scratch and dent, I guess). I have heard from a couple of folks that seem to have had good experience using this to 1) keep dogs from licking the snot out of a minor cut/abrasion and 2) healing it rather quickly, by comparison (to hoods, steroid shots, and anti-biotic ointment typical from the vets).

Any feedback?

Beth

My dog had a hot spot the 1st summer we had her from were she was sprayed by a skink.

Vet shaved the area, treated it with antibiotic cream, and then had me wash it with a mild bleach solution three times a day and after washing apply an antibiotic cream.

The only problem with treating it yourself is that it may not be a hotspot and you may be trying to treat something else with the wrong treatment.

So I would also suggest a trip to the vets and the request of acceptance of a PDC.

Good luck.

I got this spray for him when he was younger for a rash he had on his stomach.

BETAGEN TOPIC SPRAY - would this cure his, "hot spots?"

Also if I took him to the vet is this what he would give me?

Thanks,.

 Quote: matthew criner

I got this spray for him when he was younger for a rash he had on his stomach.

BETAGEN TOPIC SPRAY - would this cure his, "hot spots?"

Also if I took him to the vet is this what he would give me?

Thanks,.

Matt, he might have a bacterial infection. He might have a yeast infection. He might have a combination. The smear or scraping will tell the vet.

Betagen Spray is good for a hot spot - not for bleeding sores.

In fact, I think there's a good chance that the dog will be put on oral meds as well as topical.

A bloody rash is not something we can diagnose at home, and yeast is different from bacteria. And again, it might be a combination (which is not uncommon, from yeast & scratching breaching the skin barrier, and bacteria setting up housekeeping).

Not only that, but yeast infections on the skin are from a primary cause. It's often allergies, but not necessarily. There could be intestinal yeast overgrowth too.

P.S. You do not want a bacterial infection to go untreated, and you do not want a yeast infection to be undiagnosed.

From MarvistaVet, about yeast: Treatment can be topical, oral, or both. Topical treatment alone is not usually adequate but, since oral medications are expensive, often topical management alone is attempted first, especially if the pet is small enough for convenient frequent bathing or if only a small body area is involved. END

And that's if it's yeast alone -- no bacterial infection.

My roommates dog just had a similar situation...spot under leg and a couple of other small places...Took him to the vet and they said it was some type of allergic reaction that he probably had been clawing at...Vet gave him a steroid shot and some antibiotics