Dakota and Cheyenne have both had puppy acne before – a pimple here or there but now I am concerned. Last night we started to notice blood on certain things that Cheyenne was brushing up against or putting her head on. We took a closer look and found that her puppy acne exploded and it is just getting worse!
My poor baby! This was just taken a couple of minutes ago and there is both pus and blood coming out of several areas of her giant bump of a chin. I put some hydrogen peroxide on a tissue and dabbed her chin (which she wasn’t very pleased about) and otherwise it doesnt seem to be bothering her.
We think it was getting worse cause of the rubber Everlasting Treat ball that she has been going crazy on – trying to stick her whole face in there to get the treats – like a mad woman! So, we took it away last night and after playing fetch with her sister this afternoon, she rubbed against the arm of the chair and there were streaks of blood again.
We have an appointment on Saturday for routine shots and will bring this up to the vet and have asked our breeder and Lab friends for some assistance. Hopefully this will clear up in no time and our sassy girl will return to normal.
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Whew!! Thank God I found this site! I was truly freaking out becuase my Yellow Lab Puppy has this. Changing the bowls…applying the peroxide and drying his mouth. Thanks!!
O.K. first of all for all of the people who say not to use people products on your dogs, who do you think they test them on in the first place? Yes animals.
I have 2 goldens 2 labs and 2 mix. Only one of my dogs get the bad acne and yes it’s my lab. Now they all drink from the same giant water bowl in my home which is changed out daily and it is Plastic. This can start sometime from ingrown hairs also and just get’s a bad strain of Bacteria and it spreads.
All of my dogs go to the vet but I also do a lot of stuff myself from having horses. Just clean the area before bedtime with simple cleanser or pads and if it is really bad put them on antibiotics, just go get them at your local petstore they are exactly the same. You need Cephlexyn which you can buy for aquariums and it’s called fish flex 250mg capsules or 500mg. Give 10mg to 15mg per 5lbs of dog weight twice daily. Or Amoxicillin by aquafish both treat skin. 7-12 days is good but go at least 7. Also do not give them all the time so there body doesn’t become immune to them. And for godsakes give them back there damn toys!!!
Does anyone have a treatment to help. I recently noticed that my pup has developed this too and is scabbing over. I have hydo cream and wonder if this works?!
Have you tried to clean the area with hydrogen peroxide (diluted) and putting some neosporin on it? It works wonders when done correctly.
Have you tried diluted hydrogen peroxide and neosporin?
Interesting! I adopted a Lab-mix back in January named Judd. He’s between 1 and 2 years old. Lately I’ve noticed raised acne like bumps on his chin and lips that occasionally burst and bleed like a pimple. I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow evening. I’m pretty sure it’s canine acne but I’d like to make sure and possibly put him on antibiotics. What I find interesting is how many people on this comment page have Labradors! It sounds like it might be a breed trait. Judd is a strong chewer and the only toys he can really play with are Kongs and hard rubber toys and he LOVES his Nylabone Galileo bone. I’ve been reading and I understand that he might have a plastic allergy. My Standard Poodle has no problem with the plastic bones but I might need to convince Judd to only chew on real bones. I think I should also bleach his Kong and favorite rubber ball frequently to kill any bacteria. He already uses a Stainless Steel bowl and it gets washed daily in antibacterial soap. Assuming that this IS canine acne, I’ll ask my vet the best way to care for and prevent breakouts.
I have a Blue Grt Dane, she is 8 1/2 months now and she has spent most of her life so far on antibiotics, every time she comes off them within 2 weeks its back with vengance, she has had swobs and today she had a skin scrape to rule out mites, which is not the case, so now she has a 3 month course of antibiotics along with anti histomine ( carnt spell that ha ), so just thought i would let you know its also a dane thing. Not happy with all the antibiotics !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m just starting to notice it in my 3 month old Merle Dane also :/
I have a boxer/ lab mix approx 14 months old. She has also developed bumps around her mouth. They bust open when she plays and we use the stainless bowls. When you apply pressure to one puss and individual hair follicles come out. I have tried using peroxide, but she constantly licks them; I think it may be causing them to spread. I have not been using the neosporin or oxy pads. I will give those a try. Any other suggestions?
It sounds like canine acne but you should really get it checked out by a professional to make sure. Once the infection has set it, changing the environment won’t make it go away. Sometimes medications are needed to speed the recovery process. Changing the environment will help prevent it from coming back.
My Anatolian Shepherd had cannine acne,it would bleed often and seemed to be getting worse.I kept it clean and changed his plastic bowls to ss.I read the different advice from vets and home remedies.I thought I might give Veterycin a try.(I am not affiliated with them)Just saw a commercial on tv.Within 3 days his chin is healing beautifully.No more bleeding,The area is getting smaller by the day.It looks less inflamed .It looks so much better.its very gentle on the skin,I recommend giving it a try
The first time our Cheyenne had canine acne, it took the help of medication as well. The vet placed her on a topical creme for her chin and antibiotics. Now we know the warning signs and can nip it in the bud before it gets out of control.
I have an 11 month old Chocolate Lab who recently hada breakout of bumps on his chin. I couldn’t figure out what it could be from, but it was only on his chin. I came across this site while searching for a possible cause and this has been the most helpful. It is exactly what everyone has described. I have been cleaning his chin regularly now and took away all the rubber toys just to be safe. His chin looks a little better now but it’s only been a week so we are hopeful. They did break and he was bleeding all over the place so I cleaned them will some baby wipes and put some Neosporin on them. They look much better today. I just wanted to thank all of you for your helpful solutions. Hopefully he will clear up soon!!!
Been in this situation and will comment on what things are worthwhile to investigate in this post. My 4 yr old Black Lab has had boughts of Acne for years until I finally got fed up trying to treat the symptoms and not the cause! I found this out through much trial and error:
* Absolutely NO WEAT should be listed in food (THIS WAS THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR TO THE BREAKOUTS)
* Get RID of the plastic dishes (even if you wash them) for Stainless
* Always clean your dog’s chin area after a meal with wipes
* Use Stridex brand acne pads for Sensitive skin, which contains aloe (the point is to kill the bacteria with salicylic acid – an organic acid found in willow bark)
* Always clean paws with wipes to prevent spreading acne throughout body
* Make sure to perform proper dental hygene during outbreaks to ensure that bacteria does not spread to mouth
Hey Everybody
My Chocolate Lab Lucylou has had this problem over 2 years. She is 9 yrs. old. She had 5 sores.
The vet 2 yrs ago put Lucylou on Clindamycin Caps 150 mg. 90 pills 2 a day. It all cleared up, 3 months later had the same thing.open sore bleeding had 3 sores. Put her on the same thing same dosage.Vet said to change to Stainless Steel food and water bowls which I did. She gave Lucklou Collasate Postoperative Dressing (medical Hydrolysate of Type 1 Collagen 3 times a day.
That helped for quite a while. One day she was comming up the gameroom steps and blood was driping all over the Kitchen floor. The Vet gave her a larger dose of the same pill this time 3 pills in the morning 128 caps. which she just got done taking. She cleared up a little, but not much about half way into this batch I put the Collasate cream on her and my TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT (brand name Equate) plus said a prayer for her because she has had this a long time.I’am still puting the Triple Ant. and Collasate on her every day. It look like she is starting to clear up. If it get bad again I’ll be taking her back to the Vet again. Hopefully the creams will work Don’t know if this helps anybody
thanks Lucylou’s Mom
Make sure to wash Lucylou’s chin every time she is done eating just as you would a child. You can also put hydrogen peroxide on the area by dabbing it with a soaked cotton ball every couple of days. This will keep the skin clean but not dry it out like soaps and ointments can.
Our Cheyenne has one or two spots of acne from time to time but we just look at what toys we may have introduced recently – clean or remove those. Then it is onto washing her face/chin to keep the area clean while it heals on its own. There has been no need for any further ointment or pills since her first breakout… although the breakout was so bad that she no longer has hair on her chin.
Best of luck!
My 2 year old female yellow lab has been struggling with chin/lip acne since she was 6 months old and we can’t get it cleared up! After reading all of your very helpful posts, I have realized that I need to get rid of all of her plastic toys (especially the KONG) that are probably harboring the infection. Her bowls are porcelin and our vet said that was ok as long as they weren’t plastic. I have given my dog three rounds of antibiotics over the past year and none have worked. I am now giving her Animax, a topical cream, once a day. Has anyone had any success with that? I feel bad for my poor baby and I have blood stains around my house from her swiping her chin on things! Please help!
Nikki – getting rid of all the plastic/rubber toys is definitely a good idea. We did keep our Kongs though and use them about once a month for a treat. However, they go into the dishwasher (top rack) on sterilize after they are done.
I would also switch to stainless steel bowls as they are less likely to harbor anything bad. Just think – hospitals use stainless steel for almost everything because it is the cleanest. I figure if it is good enough for human patients, it is good enough for my pups. It has worked wonders!
Best of luck!
Canine acne can take several weeks to truly clear up. Keep the area clean and wash it once or twice a day.
Our Cheyenne has a bald chin now due to all the acne that she had. However, after removing the rubber toys and such, she has never had another outbreak.
How long did the acne take to clear up after taking away the rubber toys? Thank you, Ryan
OMG! I just found acne on my dog and freaked out! He has about 5 pimples. This is my 3rd Lab, but he his my first black. My Yellows never had acne. My husband said this could be a version of “Puberty”. I would have never belived it except for finding this site. Thanks for posting your info!
Thank you Shannon! I was completely freaking out that my 1 yr old Yorkie had a staff infection and glad to see it is probably puppy acne. I will be sure to follow all the great advice you gave here about keeping the chin clean and the bowls freshly washed. The culprit in our case was also the everlasting treat ball! Will probably still take pup to the vet, but won’t be able to until after holiday weekend. Thank you for setting my mind at ease until then!
There are a few culprits to this problem. Normally it is caused by irritation and bacteria. Our vet recommended that we continue to clean the area with some hydrogen peroxide and take away all rubber and plastic toys as those will usually keep bacteria well.
The Lab Brats have stainless steel food/water bowls which are cleaned daily and now stay far away from the Everlasting Treat Ball as this is what caused Cheyenne’s breakout. Since making those changes, she has not had another one since.
I have a 2 year old yellow lab that was just diagnosed with canine acne. His nose is covered with what looks like oozing fever blisters and spreading. The edges of his ears are also covered with sores. In hind sight he may have had a breakout last summer he had 2-3 small bumps that at the time I thought may be wasp stings. The vet put him on antibiotics but nothing topical. Does anyone out there know what causes this. I have been searching the internet without much success. Tank you.
Shannon, I’d like to thank-you for your post. I contacted Jaci’s vet today for some additional advise. She has put Jaci on another 2 week round of Amoxicillin, for the secondary bacterial infection she has, prednisone x2 weeks, and an anti-fungal anti-bacterial rinse for her chin and paws. If her symptoms aren’t completely gone in 2 weeks she wants her brought back in for a biopsy of her chin. This is to rule out an underlying hormonal condition(1%)or allergies (4%)chance. Still she is pretty certain that this is all related to the acne with an underlying bacterial infection. However, bedding has been rewashed, thank-you! We’re not doing anything with the food yet…we thought we should try one thing at a time so we know with out a doubt what this really is!! Thanks for your suggestions! I’ll let you know what we find out!!
It seems like your pup is allergic to something. If this were my pup, I would check the dog food to make sure there was no chicken, chicken by-products or gluten as Labs are prone to be allergic to these ingredients. Then I would check anything that may have changed – a new bed, new carpet, walking on newly thawed ice (ice melters are harsh on paws), etc. Any and all blankets/beds being used by the pup would be washed in an allergen free detergent.
I have an 11 month old puppy named Jaci that was diagnosed with canine acne 4 weeks ago. She had the same open infected bleeding areas on her chin, but she also had acne between the pads on her front paws. I don’t know how common that is. Anyone else heard of that? My husband didn’t think to ask, but the area on her paws were very red and raw due to her constant licking. Anyway, the vet gave Jaci a cortisone shot and a 2 week supply of Amoxicillin. Her symptoms never truley went away, and within 1 week of finishing the RX her symptoms are just as bad or even worse. We’re doing everything we can to keep her clean, but she’s constantly licking at her paws and our maltese, who thinks she’s her mother, licks her chin! Has anyone ever had to do 2 rounds of antibiotics before? Does anyone have any suggestions or stories. We have switched feeding bowls, and she doesn’t have any rubber toys she plays with. However, she is a shed trained dog, and has many deer sheds….would that have anything to do with it? Just curious!! Thanks for any help you can give!!
My 10 week old lab puppy has acne on her tummy. The vet said not to worry unless it gets crusty. I am watching it very carefully. Does peroxide help?
I have a 9 month old yellow lab and I have noticed what looks like blackheads on her stomach area. They extend all the way from her top nipples down to her girl parts. I have looked everywhere on the internet and it all says canine acine occurs on the lips and chin of dogs. I an wondering if nayone has ever noticed it on their dogs abdomen? Or is this something i should consider taking her to the vet for.
My little princess has gotten the same affliction it appears. 5 mos. old and I feel just horrible about her pretty puppy face. She isn’t bleeding but the pinkish bumps on her chin are as plain as day. Going to call the doc tomorrow just to be on the safe side. Thanks everyone for your posts! Zoe and I are relieved.
Anon –
Yes, canine acne is very bad and can make us feel like horrible dog owners when it happens. However, I would suggest that, if you haven’t already, change her bowls to stainless steel and wash them every couple of days (every day while flare up). Also remove any rubber toys such as the Everlasting Treat ball (which caused our Lab’s acne) or similar toys. If there are any rubber toys that you feel you must keep, put them on the top rack of the dishwasher every couple of days.
Canine acne is not caused by the drool itself but rather the bacteria in the drool and rubber items. Our Dakota drools like a Mastiff and yet she has never had any problems with canine acne… that’s because she didn’t like her Everlasting Treat Ball we got her for Christmas but her little sister did.
Hope that helps! Our puppy prayers are with you!
I have a now ten year old lab that has had skin acne on her chin off and on since puppy-hood. The cause is basically her own drool due to folds on each side of her lower lip. It never completely clears up and I take preventitive measures to keep it under control.
Last week while I was on vacation, my husband called me frantically because it flared up horribly. It looks horrible. I do not what caused the sudden flareup. Our vet put her on antibiotics, she is wearing a collar and I am treating her with warm compresses. It is healing but this conditions has been a never ending battle.
James:
You do not want to use any human products (especially those for human acne) on a dog as they may cause serious health problems. Remember that a dog has different skin then humans and must maintain a certain balance or serioud skin allergies can occur. On top of that, the medication in human acne creams can easily go through their thin skin and cause other life-threatening problems. Holisitic is best and contacting your vet with any specific questions on what you can and cannot use on your specific dog is even better.
Lab smiles,
Shannon
Hey shannon,
thanks a lot for such helpful advice.I certainly will follow your advice.I did many surveys on how to treat acne,Do creams which help human to treat acne can also help dogs?
james
James -
You should be careful about applying an herbal cream to dogs as allergic reactions may occur. There are many things that are dangerous to dogs that are not to humans.
Pus coming out is good because it is getting cleaned. What you need to do is clean the area well after your pup eats with warm water and gentle soap. Also make sure that his bowls are metal and washed daily and remove any rubber toys from his reach. Rubber and plastic are notorious for harboring bacteria that cause canine acne… our culprit was the Never-ending Treat Ball which is a rubbery material.
You may also dab some hydrogen peroxide on the area after you clean it with soap and water but nothing else without a vet’s approval.
Lab smiles,
Shannon
My 4 year old puppy is suffering from the same problem.May be he got infected with some other street dog.My friend told me to take some serious action.When i applied an herbal cream on his acne pus came out.What should i do?
james
Cheyenne’s acne lasted a couple of weeks before it was really starting to clear up. You will definitely want to get a second opinion because skin irritations can easily be confused with other illnesses.
Good luck!
Wow, thank goodness for the internet, I have been so worried about my 5 month old lab, Seger. The vet said it was a histiocytoma (almost always benign) and I don’t agree. His symptoms are exactly as you described. Thank you for posting your concerns about your baby! I have been looking up some really scary stuff on the net and I am relieved that he probably has dog acne. How long did it last? He has recently been spending more time in his crate because he jumped the gate I had in the kitchen. He had the run of the house for 3 hours. What a mess that was, so now he has been in the crate whenever I leave, and he chews at the bars. That started it I think. Hope your dog is better now. Thanks again for posting your concern, it helped me.
If it looks exactly like the photo, then it is most likley canine acne. The best thing to do is to keep the area clean. Sometimes the vet needs to put the pup on oral anitbiotics (which Cheyenne needed). Cheyenne still has some but it is slowly getting better. Since it was so huge and infected, it is still going to take some time to heal. Good luck and our puppy prayers are with you!
Our six month old female lab puppy has exactly the same thing! She was also bleeding and we thought she was overdoing the big bone we have her recently. It got worse so I took her to the doctor about a week ago. He took a culture and scraped the scab and puss. The doctor thinks its a staff infection and gave her an RX for antibiotics and a topical cream. It is still speading so I am going to call the doctor again tomorrow. What else do you know about this? I couldn’t believe it when I saw the photo! It looks exactly like Zoe’s chin. Please post and let me know what you have found out. Zoe is our first doggie and we are still learning how to care for her. Thank you!!!