Purple Spots on Dog's Abdomen - Organic Pet Digest

by Leslie

My 9 year old dog has been getting red bumps around his crotch, mostly in the ‘armpit’ between his hind legs. The bumps grow in size and turn purple with redness around them, then fade away.

It is in a spot where he can’t really scratch, but still it doesn’t really seem to bother him. This has been going on for a month or so.

We thought it may be a food allergy as he has always liked popcorn, and one day he quit wanting to eat it. It has been 2-3 weeks since he’s had popcorn, and they are still there.

We switched foods recently, not brands, just from the lamb version of taste of the wild to salmon, so we switched back to lamb within the last week.

Could this also be an allergy from something outside? Perhaps it’s not an allergy at all?

It is probably important to note that we have another dog who does not have this (so I don’t think it’s contagious).

Also, our dog has a heart murmur, which he’s had since he was a pup. When he was one he had surgery and they put a balloon catheter in is heart valve. He was on beta blockers until he was about 4 or 5, but has not taken meds since. This may or may not have a connection to that.

Also, he seems to have a few other dry spots on his butt where he is losing hair. We guessed those might be hot spots?

Is there any over the counter cream or medication that could help him? We have been keeping it clean. Or anything more we can do to treat them?

Comments for Purple Spots on Dog’s Abdomen

Dec 05, 2013

“My Online Vet Response to: Purple Spots on Dog’s Abdomen”
by: Dr. Lisa Brienen

Hello Leslie, Thanks for these detailed pictures, I love the pose in the desert! It is possible that these eruptions are contact sensitivity spots (his skin touches plant or other material then his skin reacts to this) or it is possible that he is reacting to something internally and detoxifying through his skin. Food and other allergies tend to cause itching. I think adding some supplements would help. I also highly recommend consulting a veterinary homeopath (www.theavh.org) or other holistic veterinarian to provide additional support to getting his system re-balanced.

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Make sure you’re adding essential fatty acids to his diet, 1000 mg wild caught Salmon oil twice daily, or Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet Soft Gels or ½ tin sardines twice a week (the other dog can share them).

Add raw (or there are options for freeze dried raw food) food into his diet daily or several times a week. See our page on 10 Best Dog Food Options.

Supplement with a probiotic (Vetri-mega probiotic by Vetri-science or Proviable DC by Nutramax are good). A healthy digestive system promotes skin and systemic health.

Supplement with CoQ10 (30 mg per 30 lb – if he’s close to 75-80 lbs ok to give a total of 90 mg. Vetri-science is a good brand – sometimes other ingredients are added so be careful when looking at ingredient lists) – this is a wonderful antioxidant. It is helpful for detoxifying the body and good support for his heart.

As long as the sites are healing up on their own, you don’t need to do much with them, but you may want to apply a small amount of Calendula cream or Nelsons HyperCal Cream (easy to order off the internet).

“Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the ‘click here to add your own comments’ link below”

Sincerely, Dr. Lisa Brienen

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

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