Red spots on underbelly

[Lynne&Co.]

Has anyone seen this type of rash before? My friends one year old chocolate lab is covered in these red spots but only on her underbelly and groin area. It doesn't appear to be itchy or bother her but there are a lot of spots. Guess she should take her to the vet?

[Winston]

OMG Lynne it is like dejavu ...My sweet boy Winston (rip) has these exact spots. I am pretty sure I may have opened a thread about it when he was alive. It was the most frustrating experience I ever went through with a dog. I went to the vet and they would prescribe prednisone and it would go away but come right back. They suspected everything from environmental allergies to seasonal stuff. I almost went crazy. I bought special treats, omega 3 stuff and then one day someone on this site said wat are you feeding and thats when the whole thing ended up resolving itself. I switched Winston from a fairly decent food to Orijen. It took the spots away within a week and kept them off until the day he passed. I suspect it was the grains that made a difference but not sure. We dont always know how the food is processed but the MAIN difference for us was that Orijen is 80% meat, 20% fruits and veggies, NO GRAINS so if I was to assume what it was I would likely say grains.

Sorry for such a long post but I do know other chocolate owners and they have the same spots, I believe it is something with the breed.

However, I have a female chocolate that doesnt have those spots and never has, but I have always fed her ACANA which is the sister company of ORIJEN same concept but it is a little less rich which seems to agree with Sophie, Orijen gave her the runs.

I feel for your friend as it drove me crazy to see those spots and nothing worked. Ask her what she is feeding the puppy!

[Barkingdog]

Has the dog swam in a pond or lake recently ? I heard of dogs getting weird rashes from bacteria in the water. One dog got red spots all over his belly like that dog.

[Lynne&Co.]

Thanks so much Winston and BarkingDog! I'll forward the info to my friend. I look after "Nikki" occasionally when the family is away for the day and she's such a sweet and nice natured girl even if she is a bit of a crazy pup
They are first time dog owners and I think feed an "average" kibble? I've suggested RAW but they are not interested so maybe switching it up to an Orijen type of food would be helpful.

[hazelrunpack]

Those look a lot like gnat bites, Lynne. Are the gnats bad where your friend lives? So yes, it's environmental, and the only thing that will 'cure' it is to wait for the dang gnats to run their course and die out for another summer. Bah! Hate those bugs!

[Lynne&Co.]

Wow, never thought about bugs Hazel! Are gnats those tiny bugs that suddenly appear in large clouds around your head? This friend lives across the street from me yikes!!! It's been a very damp spring here perhaps that's why there's so many of the dang bugs

[hazelrunpack]

Yep, that's them. Little bloodsuckers

We've also been damp--they do seem to like the rainy weather. They come in on the dogs and after the gnats have fed, they fly off the dogs up to the windows. It's gross. And if you try to clean them off the window, they leave blood all over it. Just nasty...

I think the locals here refer to them as blackflies.

[Lynne&Co.]

Nikki's spots are now getting crusty and yellow. Owner is taking her to the vet to get it checked out. Thanks everyone for the advice and info. All these years I've had dogs never have I seen those red spots. Guess my guys have just been lucky

[Winston]

Lynne I would be willing to bet money on it being food related. The spots the location the symptoms are exact. I bet the vet will prescribe a course of prednisone and it will disappear only to come back. Fingers crossed it wont
Cindy

[zreebirt]

That's pretty much how the allergies started in my puppy 2 weeks after her first set of shots. Both food and environmental.

[mikebusano]

My dog got the same rashes as yours a few years ago.

But hers was because of stress from pregnancy and nursing.

Yours might be different, its better to consult a vet. I don't see its anything serious for now.