Redness around dog’s belly button

by | May 10, 2019 | Ask A Vet, Skin Issues | 0 comments

by Clinton Sheppard
(San Marcos, CA)

Our dog’s skin and coat look great besides this rash-like semi circle around his belly button.

We have cleaned it many times and have used Sentry HC PetRelief which contains Hydrocortisone. We use oatmeal soap free shampoo when he gets a bath which is amazing stuff. Everything on his body looks great but this area and some days it’s really red and some days it look normal. When it is red and when we clean it it does not bother him in anyway at all. I was thinking some sort of hernia and have even put pressure on it and it did not bother him in anyway.

He is a 1 yr old Boston Terrier and is very active, has no problems with eating and never runs out of energy. Drinks plenty of water when needed.

His diet is a little over 2 cups a day of Blue Buffalo small breed dog food 2 times a day 2 cups total. We have tried the fish and the turkey brand. We really hope since it is really red tonight and we are moving soon and can’t afford a vet visit right this minute. He is up to date on shots, etc.

ust have to say that I love this website and to be able to ask questions online.

Comments for Redness around dog’s belly button

May 08, 2011My Online Vet Response for Redness around the dog’s belly button
by: Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

Hi Clinton,
It sounds like your dog has an inflammation of the umbilicus. It is sometimes referred to as ‘omphalitis’. This is not a hernia.

This condition can be caused by several things, such as irritation from the skinfold (if he were overweight and had skin/fat hanging down), yeast infection, superficial bacteria, mites/Demodectic mange, or food allergy, only if he is “susceptible”. For a dog, cat, or even human to have this susceptibility, it is usually due to vaccinosis. Vaccinosis is a condition defined by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann as being caused by too many vaccinations.

Of course, diet and genetics are a factor. I suggest changing to a canned or even better, a raw diet. Blue Buffalo food is a good diet, but with a skin condition he needs to have more moisture in his diet. See our section on 10 Best Dog Food Options.

No more vaccinations (easier by working with a holistic veterinarian). And with his short hair, it’s easy to keep the area clean. The oatmeal dog shampoo/soap free is a good one to continue.

If he’s licking the area, a good topical to use is aloe vera juice to help decrease the inflammation (Avail. in health food stores – refrigerate after opening.)

Give him one dose of Thuya 200c or even Thuya 1Mx. These higher potencies may not be available ‘over the counter’ so a holistic veterinarian would be able to help. If you have a lower potency, 12c or 30c, you could give him one dose one time daily for 3 days-4 days to see if he has improvement. (But he may need a higher potency to completely heal.)

To rule out the other problems, he may need a skin scraping to rule out mites or mange, a bacterial culture/sensitivity, fungal culture, or cytology to check for yeast.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

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

Related Pages:
– Dog Skin Conditions,
– Ask a Vet Online Library – Dog Skin Rashes, Marks, Spots, Lesions & Patches (including itchy skin and mange) Section

Click here to go back to the Ask a Vet Online Library of questions.

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