Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
Hello- there are a lot of possibilities here. Straight-up bacterial infection of skin is actually unusual and has historically been over-diagnosed (our skin is exposed to bacteria every day, but its rare that it gets infected without some underlying wound). Ringworm or demodex mites presenting like this would usually have some connected underlying issue affecting the immune system, but we vets see them regularly and they may be worth testing for. Other possibilities may include underlying hormonal conditions or cancers. You don't mention that your dog is itching, but these are the main non-itchy causes of skin disease. Itching, then, can present as overgrooming or rubbing and is not always recognised as 'itching'. Itchy causes of skin disease include mites, fleas or allergies. In general, these cases can take a few vet visits to get to the bottom of.
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