Hot Spots Explained
Hot Spots Are Painful
Hot spots can occur quickly and with little warning. They leave your pet with red, itchy, swollen areas that are only made worse by his or her constant licking and biting. They cause considerable pain and can make your pet irritable. If not treated immediately, the infected areas can spread and get worse.
What Causes Hot Spots on Dogs?
The medical name for a dog hot spot is pyotraumatic dermatitis. Hot spots typically occur when a dog licks or scratches an area until it is raw. The most common cause of dog hot spots are flea allergies, but they can also be caused by dog food allergies, and even coat problems (mats, old hair, etc.). Humidity and leaving a dog’s coat wet for too long can also be a factor. This problem is more common for dogs (Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Newfoundlands, and German Shepherds) with undercoats where dead hair can retain moisture. Hot spots are frequently found on the legs, feet, flank, and rump, but just about any area your pet can reach can be suspect.
Hot Spot Treatment
It is critical to treat the hot spots as soon as possible. If untreated, hot spots will typically get worse and spread.
Remove the hair from the area.
You can typically remove the hair using scissors. If it is a large area, you may need to shave it. The purpose of this procedure is to remove the fur that can hold moisture. Once the wound is clean and dry, it should heal faster. It will also help stop the infection from spreading.
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Wash the affected area.
You can use a mild skin cleanser for dogs, water-based astringent, or antiseptic to wash the affected area.
Once the area is clean and dry
Once the area is clean and dry, it is recommended that you not use any creams since they can seal in the moisture and infection. Your veterinarian may recommend an antihistamine. An Elizabethan (cone shaped) collar can also be used to keep him/her from licking or chewing the area until it has had a chance to heal.
Hot spots can make your pet miserable. Early detection and cleaning can provide relief. By keeping the area clean and dry, you should see improvement in the hot spots in a few days. The key is to keep your pet from licking the area and spreading the infection.
It is recommended that you seek the assistance of a veterinarian when treating dog hot spots or any type dog allergies treatment.
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Although the Elizabeth collar can prevent them from biting and licking it, they might still be able to scratch it. I wonder how we can prevent them from doing that.
Our elderly dog began getting hot spots every summer the two years before we had to put him down. Hot spots are so miserable for the poor dog but the antihistamines from the vet helped a ton.
Hi,
Our dogs had this problem. We shaved the dogs completely, and placed collars on them. It was rather pathetic to see them attempt to get an occasional biscuit that was thrown their way unintentionally frustrating them.
However, now they are back to the biscuits, and the hot spots are gone.
So all is well in California.
Dr. Ann Voisin
Select vegetables to add. The best vegetables for your dog include squash, pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, parsnips, beets, yams, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. These vegetables will provide necessary nutrients. Again, select produce that is as fresh as possible.
If the name “hot spot” is anything to judge by, this is far from pleasant for any dog. Thanks for the heads up as I honestly have never heard of this. Yet another useful dog fact added to my arsenal of knowledge.
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I’m sad to I’ve seen it first hand on Abigail and its really uncomfortable for them. Thankfully, our vet was able to help her out.
This is very informative, my dog is suffering from hair fall thank to maybe its some sort of allergies. I will diffidently going to visit a veterinarian.
Thanks a lot for sharing with me your experiences. I got the solution, actually my dog too suffering with hot spot but its in beginning stage, i will follow your tips and cure my lovely..
This is just now that i got to know another term for dog wounds, its Hotspot. My vet also adviced me to put a Elizabeth Collar to my dog, I just improvised for my dog.