Train the Dog Blog

What is a Hot Spot?

The simplest definition of a hot spot is a large area of the skin that has retained too much moisture, leading to infection. Commonly, dogs who swim a lot, have long, thick coats and those that reside in moist, humid environments tend to be more susceptible to these skin irritations. In addition, flea and bug bites can bring on the onset of hot spots as well. These spots occur when an area of the skin has retained too much moisture which then allows bacteria to grow. This bacteria changes the environment of the skin and creates inflammation and itchiness. As a result, a dog will seek relief by chewing, biting and licking the area. This action further irritates the area and allows the bacteria to spread making this a vicious cycle. Amazingly, a hot spot can appear in a matter of only twenty to thirty minutes. As stated earlier, flea and bug bites can be culprits of hot spots as well.

Hot Spots – The Symptoms

These spots are very easy to identify. They are large areas of the skin that are red, inflamed, hairless and sometimes oozing or scabbed over. Most commonly these spots are found on the rear legs and neck but can appear on other areas of the body as well. This are will be so irritating that a dog will not be able to stop licking, chewing, biting and scratching at it. This can make the area very painful to touch.

Diagnosing Hot Spots

Diagnosis of a hot spot is very easy and is usually made just with a visual inspection or physical examination.

If several hot spots are present, a visit to your veterinarian may be needed for testing. These include:

Skin Scraping – This test will rule out other possibilities such as mange.

Fungal Culture – This test is used to eliminate Ringworm as a cause.

Blood or skin tests to identify seasonal or inhalant allergies Dog

Blood and Skin Test – This can rule out an allergy to fleas.

Aggressive treatment for fleas even if none are seen

Food Testing – This is performed in order to rule out an allergic reaction to food.

Treatment of Hot Spots

The most important things to address when treating a hot spot are:

Stop the itching

Cure the Infection

Keep the dog from chewing or licking at the area

Keep the hot spot dry

The hair around the area must be clipped and the skin cleaned with an antibacterial soap and dried thoroughly. Sometimes the hot spot can be so severe that this procedure is painful and the dog must be sedated.

The next step is for the area to be treated with oral and topical antibiotics. The topical antibiotic will generally contain a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation while the oral antibiotic will contain a corticosteroid to reduce itching. The most important thing is to stop the itch, chew, infection cycle. By making your dog comfortable, the healing process can begin more quickly.

If your dog is unable to stop licking the area, an Elizabethan collar or lamp shade like collar may be needed. This is generally only needed for a short period of time as most dogs become comfortable within 24 hours. Within one week, the hot spot is usually healed.

Preventing Hot Spots

There are many things you can do to prevent hot spots. They include:

Using effective flea control both on your dog and in your environment

Trim the hair of long and thick haired breeds during the summer months

If you can, prevent your dog from swimming

If your dog does partake in a swim, be sure to dry them thoroughly

Heather Fox is an established writer and veterinarian who loves to share her knowledge about Dog Hot Spots Treatment with others. She has more lessons including Dog Pyometra Causes on Clivir.com.

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