Worms Under Dog Skin

by Anonymous Reader

Is there a worm that is just under the surface of a dogs skin? My puppy has a few raised spots all over his back that look like worms.

Vet Suggestion

Hello,

I couldn’t make out the spots that you are worried about on the picture you uploaded, but it is unlikely that worms are to blame. One possibility is a condition called ringworm. It is actually caused by a fungus, but the lesions do sometimes look like worms under the skin (hence the name).

Unless the problem is readily apparent on a physical examination, your veterinarian will probably want to run a couple of simple diagnostic tests including a fungal culture for ringworm, a skin scraping to look for mites, and skin cytology to rule out infection. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of your dog’s skin problems.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM