How to Treat a Dog's Hot Spots

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For humans, a hot spot is a popular place to have fun. For canines—on the other hand—a hot spot ain't no picnic. Hot spots (otherwise known as acute moist dermatitis) are inflamed, infected areas of skin that spread rapidly due to licking and scratching. Redness, oozing, itchiness, and sometimes hair loss are all symptoms. Some dogs are more prone to hot spots than others, but this pesky problem can affect any dog. There are several steps to treating hot spots.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Trim the area around the hot spot with scissors. If the area is too big, you should shave it. Exposing it to air will dry out the moisture and help speed healing.

Step2

Clean the area with a gentle baby shampoo or mild skin cleanser for dogs and rinse with cool water. Pat dry.

Step3

Apply hydrocortisone spray to stop the itching. Benadryl tablets can also stop the itch, but it's best to check with your veterinarian first.

Step4

Prevent your dog from biting, licking or scratching the area. Placing an Elizabethan collar (plastic cone) around your dog's neck will keep him from biting and licking at it.

Step5

Keep an eye on the area to make sure it continues to heal and doesn't worsen or spread. In most cases, hot spots are infected and require a visit to the vet. There's always the possibility of a deeper skin infection.

Tips & Warnings

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.
Home remedies for drying out hot spots until you can see a veterinarian include: black or green tea bag compresses, Domeboro's (Burow's) Solution and medicated powder such as Gold Bond. For healing, there's Vitamin E or antibiotic ointment. However, always check with a veterinarian first, because many don't advocate the use of these remedies. And keep in mind these treatments won't stop the spread of infection.
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.

Comments

diggitydogg said

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on 7/9/2008 Sounds good for relief. The only thing is you want to make sure the infection didn't go deeper, and it may not work for a more severe case. Thanks for the tip!

spamthet said

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on 7/9/2008 Before I knew the sore on my dog's back was a hotspot I assumed it was a scrape from running in the brush. I used Hydrogen Peroxide to clean it and sprayed Lanocaine on it. The next day it was just a scab. A day later another one popped up and I became suspicious. After looking all over the internet we decided the dog had a hot spot and tried to treat it with Apple Cider Vinegar. This just aggravated the wound and it started to spread. After 2 days of the ACV I just said to myself "if the H2O2 worked once, it will work again". I bathed the now HUGE hotspot in H202 and then showered the dog (she is a bit bleach blonde now...). Sprayed the Lanacane on it and this morning the skin is not irritated, the dog is not biting at the wound, and the spreading has stopped. My magic hot spot treatment:

=H202 irrigation.
=Rinse with cool water
=Pat dry thoroughly
=Spray some Lanacane on it

diggitydogg said

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on 4/25/2008 1) Yes, keeping the area dry is key, but many vets prescribe sprays for stopping the itch.
2) By definition, an ointment is not a gel or a cream. It is oil-based.
3) Shave or trim the area is Step #1.

johanita said

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on 4/25/2008 Avoid applying any liquid sprays to the area. Otherwise keep it as dry as possible.
Antibiotic ointment has to be in the form of creme not gel to avoid moisture in the hot spot. Always shave and trim the area to avoid the infection to spread.

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