# What are these black dots that keep showing up on pup's belly?



## riopup

Oh and I'm sure they are not mud or dirt from being outside, it's been very dry.


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## Marian

Can you post a picture of them?


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## riopup

Update: I was able to rub one of the dots off, (they are about the size of a pencil eraser) It rubbed off, but left what looked like a mild sore underneath the dark. 

Eeeeks... I'm a little worried.... I might just call the vet and see what he says.


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## riopup

Here are the pics, you can see the sore off to the left top that was left behind after rubbing for a while with a wet warm washcloth. The large one near his penis is raised.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle

Are you certain they aren't ticks???


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## Locket

Mitch had a few teeny spots like that on him, but I just scrubbed it off during his bath. I thought I was just dirt or pee


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## riopup

Ok, I have no experience with ticks, do they completely bury their body and seem almost flush with the skin?? I can't seem to lift any side of the dot up???

I just gave him frontline yesterday, if it IS ticks will this be enough to kill them.... oh gross I am eebie jeebing right now. :scared:


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## Cameo

I see these spots on A LOT of dogs!!!! Cameo will get them now and again if she's having issues with food (I switch foods with her regularly). If she gets a food with any grains, she gets them and most of the dogs I see with them are having other signs of food allergies.

I've never heard any professional state what they are, but they don't wash off unless you SCRUB and I'm not going to scrub a area enough that it makes it tender. They are almost a waxy substance and they do seem to hide a bit of an irritated spot. I've called them yeasty spots, but I honestly can't say what they really are.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle

OMG!!! I lauughed out loud when I read you eeby jeebying post!! Don't panic. Ticks usually bury their heads under the skin, and the body is a fat gray ball after it is engorged. There would be a definate raised up blob out of the skin. So....I don't know what there would be. Sorry I freaked you out.


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## riopup

Cameo said:


> I see these spots on A LOT of dogs!!!! Cameo will get them now and again if she's having issues with food (I switch foods with her regularly). If she gets a food with any grains, she gets them and most of the dogs I see with them are having other signs of food allergies.
> 
> I've never heard any professional state what they are, but they don't wash off unless you SCRUB and I'm not going to scrub a area enough that it makes it tender. They are almost a waxy substance and they do seem to hide a bit of an irritated spot. I've called them yeasty spots, but I honestly can't say what they really are.



Interesting. I've been feeding him half costco puppy and half blue buffalo. Today I am heading to the store and planing on converting him to fully on blue buffalo puppy. Is there something that would possibly be less allergic for him?? He NEEDS food, so I would like to get some tonight, we are going to petsmart, but there is a more specialty dog food store in our small town.
Any ideas?? Also should I be doing half bb and half new food anyways??? 

Other signs of food allergies that he shows COULD be, he itches ALOT, though I've never found a flea on him, really large poops, and he's super cute... No just kidding, I don't have any idea what food allergies can cause but am very interested now.


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## Cameo

well, the Blue is pretty good food, but the Costco, eh!

If he's itching a lot, then I'd say he's probably got something going on and it could very well be a food sensitivity or allergy. 

Like I said, Cameo gets those spots when she gets food with grains (any grains) and while I do switch my dogs regularly, she sometimes does get grains and THAT'S when she gets them. Also, my male Chi Chi gets pimply bumps that turn into scabs when he eats ANY THING but raw and/or EVO. He also has seizure disorder from a rabies vax he received several years ago and has had food issues ever since. 

If you go to a different pet store, then I'd recommend the EVO, Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish, Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, or Taste of the Wild (however, I'm not a Diamond fan). These are ALL grain free foods and there are others besides these and most are in the same class as far as quality. 

I just wish I could get my clients to realize most of their dogs skin problems could be solved with a change in diet! I'll be carrying the Innova foods and a pre-made raw in my boutique VERY soon and perhaps I can convince them then! 

Good luck with your fur-boy's SPOTS!


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## riopup

Does mainstream petsmart or petco sell any grain free food worth trying??? I'm heading there right now, I need to get a wire crate, I'll probably get more bb and if no grain free food to start a switch I can check out the little dog food store down the street...


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## PonkiPoodles

it looks like moles to me?!?! Ponki has one on her stomach - I'm not sure what causes it?


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## Leooonie

Harleyn gets those, I think its just dirt reaally. It mostly occurs where he's wee-ed on his fur, or hard to clean areas such as round his testicles...
Maybe just add more shampoo on those areas and then rub gently... the shampoo acting as lubricant


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## cbrand

Are they black heads? Poodles do get these.


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## riopup

They get blackheads too??? Wow, there is still so much I have to learn about these guys! I would think they were too big for blackheads. I at first DID think they were moles, but then saw one of them flake off and was like huh?? They come and go, they seem to start small and grow big, then flake off... so deff not moles. 

I really would have thought it were dirt, but it is sooooo hard to get them off, like Cameo said, you would really have to SCRUB, some of them so stubborn I would be afraid to make them raw, and when it does kind of "flake" off, there is a patch of pinky, tender looking skin underneath. 

I have him full on blue buffalo, I'll keep an eye on them and his itchy skin and see if anything gets better... If not I'd like to switch to a no grain for a while to see how it goes. 

Thanks for all the replys... it is so odd, but I'm not as freaked as I was... they don't seem to bother him.


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## wishpoo

Hmmmm..have you looked at Seborrheic Keratosis ??? :rolffleyes:


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## cerulia

Sometimes, the dogs can get a mild bacterial infection on their tummies and in sensitive spots. Our pup had these after we brought her home and our vet said he liked to let her natural bacteria work itself out rather than treat it. We left nature to it's course and she's just fine now.


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## Cameo

I posed this question to Dr. Becker, a well known veterinarian and she concurs that it's yeast! Here's her answer and I didn't even ask about the location of the spots.

Doctor Karen Becker - "Yep, yeast...they're like small waxy, dark blotches (usually on the belly/groin, but can happen anywhere), you can scrape them off but they'll come back if you don't treat the source of the issue (diet)."


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