About 2 weeks ago we saw that Napoleon had a bruise on his right side shank, we thought he either fell trying to outrun our big dog going down the deck steps ot coming down the steps from the second floor and expected it to go away in a week or so, it hasn't and Saturday I noticed that he was bitting it, so i am assuming is not a bruise but deramatitis .??

I thought it may be a hotspots but everything I have found and read about hotspots indicates that the sking is raw and oozing which is not the case with him, what else can it be?? I have an appointment with the vet Friday and have been putting a paste of Kelp on it and he has not scratched or biten it.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated!!

Scooter had what I thought was bruising on his belly and Sadie has them all over her. It turned out to be skin allergies and it changes the pigment. Scooter's did not look itchy but Sadie's had some dry skin on them. They ended up giving her a steroid shot and they went away. Scooter's went away on their own since eh normally does not have allergies. It could just be a skin irritation. I am not sure but that was Scooter and Sadie's diagnosis.

Puddles had a hotspot a few weeks ago at the base of her tail..I used a microtek equess shampoo on her and it went away immediately. That stuff is great stuff..They also have a spray for between baths..

thanks for the replies... I figure is skin allergies, so they may have to give him a steroid shot or cream.

what is a microtek eq.... shampoo? Never heard of it, where do you get it from?