On a regular basis, your dog is likely to cross paths with any number of sticky situations. No, we are not talking about sticky foods, but a more serious conversation about skin problems, such as dangerous allergies or bacteria that may cause infections you were not anticipating. Where these infections localize are called dog hot spots.

Essentially, dog hot spots are similar to sun spots. They are very involved and pocked rashes that spread all around and beneath your dogs coat, burning and itching up a storm. Not to mention that should your dog begin to scratch one of them, it is not going to strike you as odd. What dog doesn’t scratch themselves after all?

However, to lower ones risk of dog hot spots, dog owners can follow few basic rules of thumb to aid the cause. The first, while it is likely to get you a mess in your bathroom and cost you a few extra dollars at a nice pet store, is to properly bathe your dog. By giving it access to a full shower and proper shampoo, you can make the skin tougher and more reactant to unwanted bacteria that just float around. Now, the second word of advice is far more contained, and deals with easily checking over your dog each night. Nothing to intense, just a quick running through the fingers to double check the situation is either normal or non existent.

What you should try to avoid doing though, is writing off your dog’s illness as just another case of fleas. While common, fleas are not always the case and you could end up prolonging treatment of the real case.

With that in mind, it is really quite important to understand what it is your dog hot spots are showing you.

Because it is so important, we actually, in a manner as urging as possible, suggest you get in touch with some sort of veterinarian. We mean, they did happen to spend most of their life attending medical school and caring for animals with similar problems, and so they probably can’t ever steer you wrong. Or at least very rarely will.

A vet will be able to tell you right off if you are dealing with fleas, or if the hives, rash, inflammation, what have you, is the result of a larger issue. If it is, they can usually prescribe you a special cream or medication to eradicate the infection and target the dog hot spots. While the cost of prescription drugs is never the most welcomed circumstance, it is often the most effective, and letting the condition go untreated could allow for a bigger medical expense to enter the door by way of your dog’s infection.

Overall though, the situation is not on your vet. While they are a reliable source to use and should be sought out, they do not live in your house and work and live right beside your beloved dog. That said, in order to diagnose dog hot spots sooner, one should take heed of our advice and perform routine checks on their dog’s skin. It can only lead to a healthier outcome for all!

Jennifer is a pet health practitioner who specializes in dog rashes.

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You will know that your dog’s skin has been inflamed when you see dog hot spots all over it. These appear as red moist patches that can either be concentrated on one portion alone or appear as scattered areas on the dog’s skin. In the medical field, the condition is more commonly known as moist dermatitis.

Because of the appearance of dog hot spots, it’s quite easy to note if your dog has this. You should first notice this when your dog starts to scratch with an unnatural frequency. When he begins to do this, you should inspect the area where the dog often scratches.

Once they do this, you should be warned and look at the area where your dog does the scratching. If you see the red spots you should tend to it immediately.

Soon as you find the dog hot spots, it would be best to have the area shaved off. You should do this especially if your dog has a heavy coat on them. This will be the best way for the hot spots to get treated because you will see how bad the current area is. This would also help you assess more or less how worse the hot spot has become. At least it would already prompt you to bring your dog over to some vet care.

Once the area has been shaved, the next thing you ought to do is to cleanse it. Just like with wounds, cleansing allows you to stop the growth of bacteria and preventing any further infections from happening. You should use a clean wash cloth, some lukewarm water, and a gentle cleanser to cleanse the dog hot spots. This can help prevent the itchy feeling that prompts your dog to keep on scratching.

Over time, you should consider applying compresses on the area until you bring the dog to the vet and be prescribed with topical medications among others. You can apply a cold compress on the area up to four times a day so that you dog would feel comfortable. You can also try putting on a tea bag compress to help dry out the wound and also provide an additional protection from bacterial growth.

Since dogs scratch and lick themselves as a response to what they feel, it would be best for them if you make them wear an Elizabethan collar in the meantime. This way they would not be able to infect the dog hot spots much further.

Always keep an eye on the dog hot spots especially if your pet has not been seen by a vet yet. If the areas still cease to heal for more than 2 days, you should already bring your dog to the vet immediately. They will be prescribed some antibiotics to stop the growth of bacteria as well as topical medications to soothe the dog hot spots

Jennifer is a pet health expert who specializes in canine skin allergies. Check out her Website for more information!

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When a dog looses hair in a certain areas of its body it can be a sign of an infection called dog hot spots. Sometimes you may see that the area can be wet as well as have minimal hair on it. The infection is often caused by a bacterium that is in the dog’s environment.

The bacteria will grow in certain conditions. If you have been neglecting the grooming of your dog you may find that the bacteria have been growing on him. Some allergies and behavioral issues can cause this infection to develop.

There are sometimes allergies like food or parasites that can irritate the skin of a dog even if it has a good immune system. The dog generally starts licking excessively, thus creating a moist area where the bacteria thrive. If this condition is not treated, the dog starts to scratch resulting in hair loss. With dogs that have a normal immune system you can notice the irritation to the skin before the infection sets it. When you notice the irritation you need to look at your dog’s bedding, matting, food, environment and the possible exposure to moist areas. Also take in mind the boredom, anxiety and other behavioral patterns of your dog.

Treatment is to be undertaken under directions and supervision of a vet as there may be some underlying cause for the problem. The treatment may sometimes involve removing the hair from the affected part followed by thorough cleaning with mild cleansers or antiseptic on a regular basis. The vet may suggest using an e-collar in cases where the problem is caused due to excessive licking until the problem is cured.

Skin irritations can be treated relatively easy, but there is usually a deeper problem causing the issue. Resolving the bigger issue is important. The skin infection will reoccur until you have solved the problem.

In case the condition is caused by poor grooming, then more frequent grooming sessions with more care will be required. It is necessary to remove all matted portions from the dog’s fur more regularly. Two times a week or even more may be necessary so as to prevent skin infections. The matted portions can be cut off and removed to disentangle the hair. Services of a professional groomer may be sought in case the owner is not in a position to provide sufficient attention.

When you come across the problem of dog hot spots, it is important to look for the underlying cause and the issue is more complicated than a simple skin infection. Getting correct treatment is important, thus the need to speak to your vet as they have a vast experience in what can cause these problems.

Dog hot spots are indications of a bigger issue. Treating that is more difficult but it is important to find them out in order to avoid reappearance. Proper treatment of the root cause makes the dog a happy companion. Taking care of he training and entertainment aspects of the dog keeps it physically and mentally content.

Jennifer is a family pet health authority who specializes in dog rashes.

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What defines a Hot Spot?

A hot spot is a single area of skin that has an infection on the surface. These localized areas of infection are more likely to happen in dogs that have thick hair coats, dogs that swim a lot, and in moist or humid environments. Sometimes flea bites or other insect bites can also be involved. A hot spot starts to develop when more than the usual amount of moisture stays close to the skin. This changes the local environment of the skin and allows bacteria to grow. The bacteria release toxins, which cause inflammation in the skin. This makes the skin itchy in that one spot. A dog will chew and scratch on that spot to relieve the itching, but this makes the situation worse. The chewing damages the skin more and makes the skin infection worse. This makes the area even itchier. This becomes a vicious cycle. A large hot spot can seem to develop over only twenty or thirty minutes and can get bigger quickly. A flea or insect bite can also start the itching process.

Hot Spots – What to look for

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

Diagnosing a hot spot usually only requires 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 scrapings to rule out mange

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

Testing of Blood – This test is performed in order to ensure that seasonal or inhalant allergies are not the cause.

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

Invasive treatment for fleas even if none are present.

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

Treatment of Hot Spots

Things to remember when providing treatment include:

Ease Itching

Clear up the infection

Prevent the dog from biting or scratching the area

Keep the hot spot dry

Initially, the remaining hair on the hot spot and the surrounding hair are clipped. The spot is then cleaned well with an antibacterial soap and dried. Clipping and cleaning can be so painful that a dog may have to be sedated for the procedure. This depends on how bad the hot spot is.

A topical and oral antibiotic are the most common treatments. Each one contains a corticosteroid to stop inflammation and itching. By using these medications, your dog is more comfortable thus ending the itch, chew, infection cycle and speeding the healing process.

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.

Methods to Prevent Hot Spots

To prevent hot spots, several things can be done:

Use effective flea control on a dog and in the environment

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

Whenever possible, prevent your dog from swimming

If a dog does swim, dry it well afterwards

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