Zuzoo · What's that spot on your dog? Send a photo

11:09 PM

Those glowing eyes? That's the flash.

If you have a dog, you have that photo: the flash goes off and the eyes light up. That's the tapetum lucidum, a mirror-like layer at the back of the eye. It's also our logo. Tilted, because that's how dogs ask, "what is that?"

How it works

Snap the spot.
Part the fur, get close, find good light. One photo is enough.
Get a best guess.
Zuzoo checks it against 18 skin and coat conditions and tells you what it most likely is, and how sure it is.
Know what to do tonight.
Three things to do before bed, the signs that mean it's a vet visit, and groomers near you for the morning.

A best guess, not a diagnosis. Your vet always gets the last word.

11:18 PM

Show us the spot.

Close up, good light, fur parted. We'll take it from there.

Get close: let the spot fill the photo.
Find light: a lamp or your phone's flashlight.
Part the fur so the skin shows.

Your photo goes to our AI for a quick look. Zuzoo doesn't save it.

Drop a photo of the spot here

or choose one · jpg, png, up to 10 MB

Choose a photo

You can also paste one: Ctrl+V

Take a photo of the spot

jpg, png, up to 10 MB

Take a photo Choose from library

12:26 AM

The usual suspects.

Most late-night spots come from a short list. Here are the guides we've written so far: what it looks like, why it happens, what to do tonight.

15 more on the way

The photo check already includes these. The full guides are coming.

Stinky, smelly coat Soon
Constant itching and scratching Soon
Dull, lifeless coat Soon
Dandruff and flaking Soon
Greasy, oily coat Soon
Paw irritation Soon
Skin redness Soon
Sensitive, reactive skin Soon
Skin fold dermatitis Soon
Seasonal allergies Soon
Hair loss, bald patches Soon
Allergic reaction Soon
Dry, flaky skin Soon
Matted coat Soon
Excessive shedding Soon

1:40 AM

Tonight's list. Three things, then bed.

Pick what it looks like, tick as you go, and watch the room warm up.

Hot spots

Get air to it. Trim or push back the fur around the spot so it can dry. A damp, covered hot spot keeps growing.

Rinse gently with cool water, pat dry, and keep it dry. No ointments or creams that seal in moisture.

Stop the licking tonight. A cone, a soft recovery collar, or a t-shirt over the area. This is the step that matters most.

Heads up: Most hot spots need a prescription to clear fully. Home care tonight buys time; it is not the whole fix.

Yeast infection

Dry the damp places completely. Between the toes, inside the folds, the ear flaps. Moisture is what yeast wants.

Wipe the affected folds and paws with a plain damp cloth, then dry again. Skip human antifungal creams unless a vet says so.

Write down where it is and how strong the smell is. If it keeps returning, allergies are usually driving it, and that is the conversation to have with a vet.

Heads up: Repeat yeast almost always means an allergy underneath. A vet can put together an antifungal plan and look for the trigger.

Paw licking

Rinse the paws in cool water after the last walk and dry between every toe. This alone stops a lot of licking.

Look between the pads with a light. Cuts, a tick, a grass seed, a stuck burr. One paw licked far more than the others usually means something is in it.

Break the cycle. A chew, a short walk, or a cone if the skin is raw. The licking has to stop for the skin to settle.

Heads up: Chronic paw licking is almost always allergy. A vet can start an allergy workup; home care handles the irritation tonight.

3:15 AM

When it's a vet visit, not a tonight thing.

No drama. Just the plain list.

See a vet now if

Bleeding that won't stop.
A wound that's very large or spreading fast.
Obvious pain: crying out, flinching, or won't let you touch it.
Swelling of the face.
Lethargy: unusually flat, won't get up, won't eat.

If your vet is closed, call an emergency animal hospital. Don't wait for morning.

Book a vet if

Hot spots

It is larger than your palm or still spreading after 24 hours.
It is oozing yellow or green, or smells strongly.
Your dog is lethargic, off food, or seems in pain when you touch it.

Heads up: Most hot spots need a prescription to clear fully. Home care tonight buys time; it is not the whole fix.

Yeast infection

The ears are involved: head shaking, scratching at the ears, dark waxy discharge.
The skin is thickened, black, or cracked.
It clears up and comes right back, more than twice.

Heads up: Repeat yeast almost always means an allergy underneath. A vet can put together an antifungal plan and look for the trigger.

Paw licking

The skin is raw, bleeding, or swollen, or your dog is limping.
Only one paw is affected and you cannot find anything in it.
It has gone on for more than two weeks or comes back every season.

Heads up: Chronic paw licking is almost always allergy. A vet can start an allergy workup; home care handles the irritation tonight.

Zuzoo gives a best guess, not a diagnosis. Your vet gets the last word.

5:52 AM

Morning plan: a groomer nearby.

For the coat side of things: baths, trims, mats, keeping a spot clean and dry. Up to five groomers near your zip, with ratings and a number to tap when they list one.

Groomers aren't vets. Anything on the vet list goes to a vet first.

The map is just for fun: positions are illustrative, and the order follows Google's results.