# Bald spot/bare skin on front leg



## Copperboy426 (Sep 7, 2014)

I let my boy, Copper, out to run and noticed this bare spot of skin on his front right leg. It's about an inch long, and looks perfectly carved out. Like I had shaved his leg with an electric razor.

Any ideas what this could be from? He's not acting like it's itchy at all. Haven't even seen him acknowledge it.

I attached a picture from my phone. Hope it works.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Looks like a slice, like he ran up against a sharp object, but it fortunately didn't puncture the skin. Clean it and put a bit of antibiotic ointment on it.

When they lose hair like that, be prepared for a long regrow time, however...


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## Copperboy426 (Sep 7, 2014)

Thanks, I'm thinking you may be right. We've got a lab as well and the two of them love to roughhouse out in the fields.

Crazy how thin the coat is on these guys. What you see is what they've got.


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

Have you noticed him licking this spot? My boy had similar wounds twice. 

First time around it happened during his field test and he was searching for birds like it was no tomorrow. The skin on his front leg was sliced off by a barbwire (he did not even noticed it, my bird-crazy pup, until after the test) 

The second time happened actually several weeks ago, during the hunt. This time I believe it started like a puncture wound that got worse as he licked it. There was another puncture wound on his front, but he could not get to it (so it is going through the normal healing process without any hair loss). I am using antibiotic spray (I just ordered the one with the bitter taste to prevent him from licking it) and it is getting better. But it takes forever for the hair to regrow. 

We have not stopped hunting with our boy, but after each hunt I spray the wound with antibiotic and once home we give him a bath and treat the spot once more.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

The irregular shape of it as well as the margins suggests it's a scrape, not a lick.


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

Gingerling said:


> The irregular shape of it as well as the margins suggests it's a scrape, not a lick.


Most likely, I agree. Have I not observed my boy creating via licking a bald spot looking very close to this one, I would not have believed myself it was possible. I am glad to see the hair is slowly regrowing though.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Gingerling said:


> The irregular shape of it as well as the margins suggests it's a scrape, not a lick.


Horses often get scrapes just like this, especially when kicked by another horse. It just kind of shears the hair off. My guess is a scrape as well.


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