Dear VetBabble: What Should I Do About My Dog’s Recurring Chin Spots?
I took Bella (American Bulldog) to the vets three weeks ago because she had bleeding spots on her chin and they gave her a two-week course of antibiotics which did clear it up. It’s now been a week since she’s been off them and they have come back again. Is there any suggestion of what this is or what to do next? She is very travel sick and the vet is half an hour away from where I live, so I figured I’d get an insight first before visiting the vet.
Understanding the Problem
Hello! This may be a case of chin acne, as often an initial outbreak will clear with antibiotics, but once the skin bacteria collect again, the lesions reappear. There are various reasons for these spots to appear on your dog’s chin, and it’s important to understand the potential causes and what changes can be made to prevent them from recurring.
Prevention and Home Treatment
To help prevent and treat these spots, first, make sure Bella is eating and drinking out of ceramic dishes. Wash both dishes in hot soapy water daily and avoid using anything plastic or stainless steel. Secondly, you’ll want to use a dermatologic product containing 2-4% chlorhexidine, which can be a wash, wipe, or shampoo. Gently clean the skin at least twice a day (only the shampoo needs to be rinsed and dried).
If the spots persist after a couple of weeks of following this routine, it’s time to consider the possibility that underlying allergies are causing the problem. This can include environmental, inhalant, and food allergies.
Looking Deeper: Allergies and Other Causes
You may need to do a food trial using a novel protein such as salmon, venison, or duck to determine if food allergies are the cause. Monitor your pet’s condition and assess whether the spots improve after making these changes.
If food allergies don’t seem to be the issue, there are other potential causes to account for, like mange or other skin conditions. It may also be necessary to use allergy-specific medications, such as a short course of steroids, Apoquel, Cytopoint, Atopica, or even undergo actual allergy testing with immunotherapy.
It’s also important to keep an eye on any lumps and bumps that appear on your dog’s skin and consult a veterinarian if you notice any changes or worrisome growths.
This is a fairly common problem, and many dogs respond well to the treatments mentioned above. Hopefully, one of these solutions will work well for Bella. Thanks for using VetBabble!
