So I noticed this spot almost a week ago on my husky Freya's lower muzzle. When I first noticed it, it was more of a scab like texture and I have been putting neosporin on it everyday. Now the skin is showing and the hair in that spot has fallen out (probably from healing). I also noticed (hard to see in the pics) that right above that spot on her lip it is kind of swollen out a bit compared to her other side. Just confused what it can be from. Her food has not changed in a very long time, she hasn't walked anywhere different, she hasn't been in any kind of dog scuffle where it could be a scrape, and the weather in San Diego has been pretty mild for this time of year but humidity has been up.

Is this a typical "hot spot" dogs can get? Can it be a bug bite or from some type of plant? Or does anybody have any other ideas?

Close up


From a distance lol

No clue that would kind of freak me out. I hope someone who knows what that could be helps.

I know it is pretty weird. I also forgot to mention that she seems fine and no change in behavior. Hopefully somebody has an idea. I was planning to take her to the vet this weekend if it gets worse but I think it's healing.

It looks clean and like the neosporen has worked so I wouldn't worry too much about it. The fur will grow back soon. May have been a tick bite or other bug that she scratched raw. My girl used to sometimes get a rash along her lip but that's very round like something bit it.

While it's round and looks similar to a small hot spot, most of the hot spots I've had to treat have been quarter to half dollar sized just forward of the tail on the back ... since it is healing I'd let nature take its course. Tend to agree that it's probably just a bite but it does bear watching.

Thanks for quick responses! It definitely could be a bite like you mentioned. Tons of bugs here in SoCal lol

It so perfectly round, I'd say maybe a spider bite?

It looks like a skin tag to me. Like the others, I'd just keep an eye on it.

An update if any were curious as to what this weird spot was and if you ever see something similar on your dogs. I originally was thinking a hot spot or a bug bite like some of you suggested but the vet told me bug bites are usually larger and more angry lol.

So, I went to the vet and he ran a few tests on it. He first did a test by using a black light to look at the skin lesion. If the skin is green under a black light it is fungal. I never knew that and thought that was interesting. (Although not all fungal shows up under black light some can.) We then did a skin scraping to test for any mites. No mites. Then he checked for a bacterial infection and that is what it turned out to be. Bacterial infections seem to be treated fairly easy I was given a cleansing pad and then some ointment and it is supposed to clear up in 2 weeks so a quick and easy recovery!

Okay, now that's interesting ... but one assumes that there's a cause to a bacterial infection, especially on the skin. I also didn't know that you could use a black light for any fungus' ... thanks for the education.

<chuckling> hope the ointment doesn't taste good, it could be a problem considering the location ...