Health question

[Amy W]

My 3 month old puppy, Ruby, has little bumps (almost like little pimples) on the skin near her private area.  We just noticed them this morning and I don't think they were there last night before we went to bed last night.  

Ever since we brought her home from the breeder she licks her self very frequently but she's never shown signs that she's in pain or bothered by anything.  Should I just keep an eye on the bumps for the next couple of days to see if they either get worse or go away?  Anyone know what these could be or what causes them?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

[Linda and "Toby"]

Hmmm... can you post a photo?

[Jaime and Barley Barker]

Barley had something very similar on his belly around his private area. They looked like pimples. I thought they were bug bites from playing in the yard. However, it turned out they were a rash caused by a food allergy. I give Barley daily vitamins and I was using beef liverwurst to give him the pills. He always had some bumps on his belly, though not many, and I attributed them to bug bites. Then I changed his food to a new formula of the brand I use. This formula has only a single protein, beef. I thought this was a great idea since it's a good brand and this flavor was grain-free. Well, Barley erupted with these pimple welts all over his belly up to underneath his front legs. It was horrible. He kept scratching, and he opened them up. I took him to the vet and my vet said it was a food allergy to beef. Barley had to go on antibiotics because some of his bumps became infected. I took him off of that food immediately and stopped giving him liverwurst. (Now he gets cheese with his vitamins.) The bumps have completely cleared up and they haven't been back since. It's possible your pup has an allergy to something as well.

[Amy W]

Attached is a picture of the bumps.

[Jaime and Barley Barker]

Those don't look like insect bites to me, but I'm no expert. I would suspect an allergy to either something she's eaten, or a contact allergy to certain grasses, weeds, or other plants. You could call your vet and ask if you should bring Ruby in. Besides going on an antibiotic (Barley's became infected), the vet had me give Barley one Benadryl tablet per day.

[Ashley, Ronnie and Ruby]

My 10.5 week old (ironically, named Ruby) had a couple of these on her this morning. She does not seem to be picking at them. She was out in a couple bushes yesterday so I thought they might be bites. I guess I will keep a close look at her. I wonder if she could have an allergy.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Hi Amy...If Ruby has been licking alot and bumps are starting to appear or red marks.  It could be a Staph infection if there was a cut or open sore that she has been licking.  If the area gets bigger I would take her to the vet. 

[Linda and "Toby"]

It appears that little pustules are forming. (This happened when Toby developed an allergy.) I would go to the vet right away because if she needs antibiotics and steroids the sooner she gets on them the better.

[Bonne Bouche]

Bonne Bouche had a few (maybe 5?) around that age, but since it was only a couple at a time, we never thought much of it, and a week or so later they were gone...

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

Chester had a staph infection and had to be put on antibiotics.. I thought they were mosquito bites.. He was scratching a lot..They looked like pimples or bug bites. Wouldn't hurt to have it checked out!

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Lily is 15 weeks old and has bumps almost identical to that on her belly skin closer to her privates. She never scratches or itches them and I only noticed it when she was lying on her back. I took her to the vet yesterday and she was diagnosed with a staph infection. The vet said it is common at this age as they near puberty and the hormones kick in. She also called it "Puppy Pyoderma" or "Puppy Acne". Lily was given some antibiotics to help clear it up.

[Eva and Fenway]

I second this, the same thing happened with Fenway. I ignored it thinking it was maybe just irritated, but then it turned into gross pustules. After only a few days on the antibiotics the vet immediately gave me, they vanished (obviously I gave the rest of the meds).