What exactly is a hot spot?
In simple terms, a hot spot is a localized skin lesion caused by many things: licking, scratching and biting of the skin, swimming, stress and anxiety, allergies - the list goes on.
These areas of inflamed skin may vary greatly in terms of their size, shape and severity – it all depends on how agitated the lesions become, and the length of time they go unnoticed.
Hot spots will commonly look red and irritated, and in many cases they will ooze like something out of a Wes Craven movie. As a result of the irritation, hot spots become extremely itchy, so if you notice your dog is scratching, biting, or licking a part of his body like there’s no tomorrow – it may be a hot spot. If your pooch is left to his own devices, hot spots can manifest from virtually nothing in very short order.
I’m not going to sugar coat this; hot spots can look very gross.
Click this if you want to see for yourself, otherwise, here is a super cute puppy to look at.
Hot spots are relatively easy to notice on short coated dogs, like Labrador Retrievers. Recognizing hot spots on dogs with longer or thicker coats may present more of a challenge since the fur may conceal the lesion for some time.
So, you now know what a hot spot is – so how do you make them go away?
Firstly, if you’re ever concerned about your pets’ well being – always take him to your Veterinarian right away. There is always the possibility that what you have self diagnosed as a hot spot may be something completely different – so use good judgment.
With that said, there are many simple ways to treat a hot spot without veterinary assistance.
Here’s what you do:
Once you’ve found the hot spot, it’s time to clean it up – this means shaving the affected area. Many professional pet groomers (here is where I plug Canadian Pet Connection’s world class professional Pet Groomer, Marni Richmond) can do this at a fraction of the cost a Vet may charge.
Now that the hot spot is shaved, and the area is exposed, you need to clean it with some water and a non abrasive cleansing solution – like a commercial tea tree oil based hot spot spray. I have had great success treating hot spots with Earth Bath’s Hot Spot Spray, but there are many similar products on the market that will also work very well.
These hot spot sprays work wonders; not only do they disinfect and clean the hot spot, but the soothing tea tree oil takes all the itch away – which makes the wound heal much faster, and lessens the chances Fido will make things worse with his incessant scratching.
Depending on the severity of the hot spot, your Veterinarian may prescribe oral antibiotics and a topical spray or ointment. These are usually for worst case scenarios.
Using these products and following their directions will dry up the hot spot in no time, and Fido will be back to normal in short order.
Photo Credit: petsfoto.com
Thanks for the info! Silly me looked at the gross pictures…but soothed myself after by looking at the cute puppy.
My dog definately has a hot spot!
Kelly
You’re welcome, Kelly – thank you for commenting.
Good luck treating your dog’s hot spot
I guess I am the wimp who didnt look at the pictures. But thanks for sharing the information, I was not aware of this condition. Cheers.
Thank you for stopping by, Veronica – you’re most welcome.
Great information. This explains alot. Our
pet poodle goes crazy about once a year with biting and itching. The vet says it is allergies.
Thank you for commenting, Rick. Do you give your dog anything to alleviate his allergies?
Thank you for this useful info, Brandon. My Alsatian gets these hot spots a lot. They usually appear when she gets anxious, i.e. when I go on holiday or raise my voice. Aside from treating her spots externally, is there a holistic internal treatment you can recommend? Thank you again.
Thank you for commenting, Aggie.
Treating anxiety induced hotspots can be a little tricky because every situation is different. When dealing with anxiety, pet owners should always evaluate their dogs’ level of exercise. The more exercise a dog receives, the less anxious he will become.
You should check out the following about treating anxiety in dogs, I think it may help
http://www.canadianpetconnection.com/separationisolation-anxiety/
Thanks for the info, will have to try some of the spray. My Pug-zu gets spots off and on through out the year. Currently going through it again now. Trying to avoid the vets again but he’s not making the cutting of the hair in the area in easy for me. Any suggestions to get him to stop gnawing at it?
Great question, Nicole.
Are you trying to cut his fur with scissors or clippers? You may find clippers easier and faster to use.
The hotspot spray I mentioned in this article will prevent your pooch from gnawing at the affected area because it will take away the irritation. Frequent sprays may be necessary, but if you take away the irritation, you take away the dogs’ need to mess with the hotspot.
You could also consider using a taste deterrent like Bitter Apple, or Bitter Lime. These products are effective taste deterrents, but they may not work on all dogs.
Anti-itch hotspot sprays are the simplest and most effective products you can use.
i have a west highland scottish terrier, and i noticed for the past week that she is chewing on her legs , so bad that the fur is gone, would this be hot spots and what can i do .please help.thanks
Hi Rosie, it sounds like your Westie is suffering from allergies of some sort. The licking and chewing of the legs is one of the most common symptoms of allergies, but it’s difficult to say whether its due to diet or environment. Hot spots may manifest as a result of the excessive licking and chewing, so try to keep an eye on it.
For starters, you may want to look at changing your dogs’ diet to rule out dietary allergies.
Here’s how you do that:
Solving Pet Dietary Allergies – Process of Elimination http://www.canadianpetconnection.com/process-of-elimination/
Autumn is Allergy Troubleshooting Season http://www.canadianpetconnection.com/autumn-allergy-troubleshooting-season
Hope that helps!
We have a rescue dog and it has a hot spot can u tell me if a combination of canestan for feminine itch and the spray u suggested. And shaving down but not right down? Maybe leaving a inch of hair as this is a northern bread.
Will this be an option to do all three things?
What about head and shoulders as well?
Good questions. If you’re using a hot spot product like the Earth Bath Hot Spot spray, then you shouldn’t have to use any other products (like a yeast infection cream). When treating hot spots, the idea is to keep the area clean and dry, so the hot spot eventually dries up, and scabs over to heal. Yeast infection cream will not help in this case – I would not suggest that.
With regards to shaving the affected area, to keep the area clean and free of irritants, it is wise to shave the area all the way down, rather than leaving an inch of hair. This will expedite the healing process for the hot spot.
I would not use any hair care product manufactured for human use, as the PH levels of these products are different than products manufactured for pets. As far as treating hot spots go, there would be little benefit to using this kind of shampoo.
1. Keep the affected area clean
2. Keep the affected area dry
3. Use the hot spot spray, and nothing else for the time being
Hope that helps
Afraid so that hot spot may also cause an individual infection once it’s been taken for granted and much more frightening if you have some little children at home. Grooming really matters even to humans so better find a cheap yet service gratifying salon for your pets.
Akhira recently posted..tea tree oil acne treatment
Tea Tree Oil even in small amounts is toxic to dogs. Using an antiseptic wash and black tea compresses are a much safer option.
Tea tree poisoning appears to occur most often when applied to dogs in its undiluted form, directly to the skin. The products I’m recommending use tea tree oil in a very diluted amount, so there is no risk using a product like Earth Bath Hot Spot Spray.
Thanks for commenting though, it is very important for pet owners to be aware of the risks of undiluted tea tree oil