When you hear the term hot spot, you usually think of a great night club, restaurant or place to vacation, but if you are a dog owner then you think of something totally different. They are not great and certainly not a vacation.

Canine Hot spots (otherwise known as moist dermatitis) are inflamed, infected areas of skin that can spread very quickly due to the affected dog licking and scratching. Some dogs are more likely to have hot spots than others, but this pesky problem can affect virtually any dog. Fortunately for dog owners, there are several ways to treat hot spots.

Here are basic instructions on how to treat them…

Steps:

1. Trim the fur from the area around the hot spot with scissors. If the area is large at all, you should shave it instead.

Causing the Hot Spot to be exposed to the air will help dry out the moisture and speed up healing.

2. Clean the affected area with a gentle skin cleanser for dogs and rinse thoroughly with cool water.

3. Apply a cold compress to the area a few times a day. It is best to use a cool wet washcloth.

4. Apply a topical relief cream such as Vitamin E, tea bag compresses, or Domeboro’s solution to dry out the area.

Hydrocortisone cream or hot spot spray with hydrocortisone can relieve itching. You should always consult with a veterinarian first before applying topical treatments.

5. If the above steps don’t seem to help, then you should take your dog to the vet right away. The hot spots are probably severe enough that Topical relief won’t stop the spread of infection.

Things you should be aware of regarding Hot Spots:

Hot spots can result from fleas, food allergies, tangled or matted hair, humidity, not drying a wet dog properly, or from dogs licking and biting themselves, often out of boredom.

Treat hot spots immediately to prevent further spreading. Hot spots can be very painful, so be cautious when treating your dog. Sometimes hair can mat over the hot spot and obscure the severity of the problem.

Above all else, use the golden rule of contacting a veterinarian when in doubt of any health condition that your dog may be experiencing.

Dog Skin Problem – Hot Spots – What are they and how can you avoid them?

Along with summer time and warm weather comes something many dog owners dread like the plague – hot spots. This is the most common dog skin problem; causes terrible discomfort for the dog, can be potentially serious and can be very hard to treat. Hot spots are where the dog has licked incessantly and caused a bald spot with a wet and raw looking sore or skin lesion. These not only look terrible, but also cause the dog much irritation and pain and if infection sets in can cause serious complications. Death can result if the infection becomes serious enough that it has entered the blood stream.

This type of dog skin problem can appear anywhere on the dog’s body and often seems to appear overnight. There are a variety of things that cause these hot spots. Often a dog will receive a small or insignificant scratch from romping and playing outdoors. When moisture is present from the dog swimming, being in the rain, having been given a bath, or rolling in wet grass, bacteria can infect the scratch or small wound. A bacterium invades the area and the hop spot has begun. The hot spot develops rapidly once the area is infected with bacteria and a serious dog skin problem can develop rapidly within 24 hours. The infection goes into the deep layers of skin on the dog and severe itching and self-trauma develops.

The most common treatment for hot spots is to treat them with a topical antibiotic. The dog skin problem must be thoroughly cleansed and the antibiotic applied to the area. When treatment is first started, the antibiotic needs to be applied often – sometimes as often as every 2 hours. As inconvenient as this is, it is necessary in order to avoid a deeper or more extensive infection. When an extensive or deep area of infection has set in, the dog will often have to be treated with oral antibiotics and the area around the dog skin problem shaved. This involves a visit to the veterinarian and is not only inconvenient but also usually expensive. Hot spots that cause dog skin problems usually take up to two weeks before the hot spot appears to be healing. Fortunately for the dog, relief is felt much sooner.

When your dog first stops the licking and scratching, don’t be fooled into thinking the hot spot is healed. Treatment needs to continue until the lesion is completely dried up and scabbed over. During the hot summer months, keep your dog well groomed and check frequently for small scratches or the beginning of hot spots. You will save your dog much pain and discomfort and yourself a lot of inconvenience when you catch and treat this type of dog skin problem early on.