I've got a carolina dog ( I seem to start with this line all the time but oh well lol) and before we got him he had a bad habit of chewing his feet... We've had him since November and since we have put him on a grain and wheat free food he has stopped chewing so I'm assuming it was an allergy or stress from his last home (other dogs picked on him bad) now I noticed while I was giving him the good ole hose down bath (he loves moving water and hates tubs usually I shower him but it was beautiful out today) a bald patch on his right elbow.. well right beside his elbow... he has No fleas, no nothing... and no skin problems so I have no clue what it is... looking at it its got a black patch of skin (very very small) in the middleish of it. But his palate is black and pink and most of his skin is pink so I'm guessing this just must be his skin pigment in that area.. there are no short hairs (as if he was chewing and didn't get the whole hair) in the area just regular length ones around the patch and None where the bald patch is (hence the title... I found a bald patch) has anyone seen this on their dog before and if so what was it... it doesn't seem to bug him but for all I know he could be chewing on it when I'm not around[ I added pictures of it that I took today after he dried off hope they work. If not I have them on photobucket
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...4/100_1066.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...4/100_1067.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...4/100_1068.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...4/100_1070.jpg

Bare patches on a dog's "elbows" is a classic sign of mange. Healthy animals rarely get any more symptoms that that. I used to live in Asia, where this often became much worse. Good nutrition keeps it under control, but there are treatments for it although they have side effects. If you Google mange, you will see this as one of the symptoms.

There can't be any way of him getting mange. There are no infected animals in the valley at all, he is an indoor dog who is only outside for walks and to use the bathroom or play in the fenced in back yard the other dog in the house does not have it nor does the cat or the dogs down the road




*NOTE* The pictures are all of the same spot... there are no more any wheres else on his body

Mums great dane got dermadectic mange even though he was never around other dogs with it. It is possible...

It could just be a reaction ot a mosquito bite or something as well. Keep an eye on it over the next week and if it gets any bigger or looks infected at all take him in to you vet :)

That is what we have decided to do shaz... keep an eye on it until Friday then if it looks bigger or infected we are taking him to the vet (we need to get flea medicine too as ours just ran out so the timing is good since we have to go there any ways ) I read up on Dermadectic mange and I noticed it said some breeds like great danes are prone to it... it also said it could be caused by stress... (the stress causing lower immune which causes the natural mites on a dog to increase and the increase causes the mange.). Sitting here I've been thinking.. we had to dig up our septic tank last week, plus dig up the drainage around the house and re do it... could there possibly be something in the unearthed dirt that could have bothered him too.. he does have a tendency to lay in the dirt

Possibly, there could have been bugs/mites under the tank.

Only thing to do is wait and see, I don't see the need to rush off to the vet at them moment as it is only small, but like you said, any bigger and take him in :)

Keep us updated!

Will do shaz... I'm thinking it might have been some kind of bug bite or irritant... if you rub over it it doesn't bug him). No redness, no inflammation... no itching no chewing at it..

SCARRY THING THOUGH... we are going to get this looked at immediately.. we have a retriver that lives in this house also though she is not ours... she is prone to allergy and skin problems *like lots of dandruff, dry skin,* today I noticed a mat of fur on her side... upon carefully taking apart the mat of fur I noticed there was a Hard Dry substance stuck in the fur close to the skin... I took warm water and a brand new cloth (right out of the package) and carefully and gently washed it away... and WOW there's the ugliest skin colored odd shaped bump there right on her side and it was bleeding (thats what the hard dry substance was) I called her owner at work right away and told her what I found.. she is taking her dog to the vet Friday too.. can I ask everyone's opinion... if a vet said that a skin problem just showed up on a dog (and the skin problem has been there since it was a pup) and basically called you an idoit and said you didn't know how to take care of dogs would you keep going to them... they seem to be morons and the other dogs owner has been taking that dog there for 14 years now and its been the same vet. I've been trying to tell her to go get a second opinion about the skin problem and the allergies but she hasn't yet because the vet she goes to is the only one she could find who give some anti-allergy shots around here which do help her in spring when it it wet and she has an allergic reaction to the moisture and fresh grass.. (she is fine in summer, fall and winter) She goes to a different vet then I do.. (I trust mine) and where she goes they seem to be more of a cat vet then a dog in my opinion as they are also a cat shelter

Well since I've been busy I have not had time to come back to my thread... took rebel to the vet (the other dog was taken in too but since she's not mine I don't know what was said) and our vet said that it looks like the beginning of a calous on his elbow. Usually larger dogs get them she said not medium sized ones but it does happen.. she shaved around it... no abnormalities, the furs not growing back inthat one spot but where she shaved has grown back already

Good news!
The hair may never grow back but at least you know it is nothing bad now :)

I do agree with you shaz. I can deal with a small patch... she said if it gets bigger and if I worry again to just bring him in. she only charged me for the office visit and she said that's all she would do the next time too if she didn't have to give us anything