Bramble has what appears to be a large scab on his back. As far as we know he hasn't injured himself. It is difficult to 'see' the 'scab' - I can feel it clearly. It is very irregular in shape, about 1-2 inches long, ridged and hard - just like a scab, but it is difficult to see (Bramble has a short haired double coat) so it must be skin coloured ?? It is sited above his spine, but it is in the skin only as I can move the skin easily.

Any thoughts as to what it could be ?? Bramble is around 14 and very fit - he recently had tests for diabetes, kidneys and Cushings as he was drinking more than usual, but all tests were clear.

I have a dog with allergies and he gets these scabs too - never much to see but I can feel them.  However if Bramble hasn't had skin problems before I'd be surprised if it was that.  It sounds more like an injury and it needn't have been much to cause a large scab as the scabs make any injury look worse than it probably was.  Mine get these sort of scrapes and scuffs along their backs from time to time and it's usually from limboing under gates or fences.  We also have lots of stiles on our walks which are generally negotiated, without care, at 90 miles an hour.  My youngest recently slid through a low stile and left his testicles behind - he's now looking a bit sore!!

Hope it's nothing much and that Bramble is ok :)

could be a flea allergy... get vet to do a scraping.. my friends dog had a similar thing ..after all kinds of suggestions and tests it appears she is now allergic to fleas needed a long course of antibio's (3 weeks) and stronghold now on the mend.. frontline wasnt doing the trick.

> Hope it's nothing much and that Bramble is ok

Thanks - he is fine and not showing that he is aware of the scab at all :) Normally, scabs are bloody/dark red, but this isn't - strange. We have a lot of hedges/wild areas in our garden and he does like to rummage so it is possible that he has scraped himself - just would have thought we would have seen some blood !

We'll get him checked out if it hasn't improved by Tuesday :)

> could be a flea allergy... get vet to do a scraping

Yes - could be :)

>We have a lot of hedges/wild areas in our garden and he does like to rummage so it is possible that he has scraped himself - just would have thought we would have seen some blood

Buster sometimes gets scabs on his ears from sticking his head in bramble bushes. Only once did I ever see any blood to warn me he had scratched himself, it was a suprising amount of blood that was dripping from the end of his ear in big droplets, but when I investigated it was a teeny, tiny scratch. Funnily enough, that one that bled didn't leave a big scab.