Hot Spots on dogs – Reasons, Treatment and Precautions

Hot Spots are truly painful for dogs. These self traumatic skin lesions create lot of trouble for the dog. Often termed as moist eczema or summer sores, these red patches on the skin prove very painful for dogs. In addition, dogs tend to lick, chew and scratch these areas making the sores turn into wounds. They start off from a small sore caused due to allergy, insect bite, bacterial infection etc. Ending up into deep bloody patches of flesh, these skin lesions demand immediate attention from pet parents.

Let us Check out Causes for Hot Spots in Dogs:
An unhealthy skin condition is the first reason for development of hop spots in dogs. If your pet is ungroomed and has filthy skin then he is susceptible to skin infections of all kinds. The end result may be patchy skin with or without discharge.

Allergic reactions are another prominent reason. It could be due to flea or insect bites, atopy or food.

Fleabites may turn into sores which further degrade due to chewing and licking by the pet.

Atopy is a term used when dogs develop allergies due to environmental allergens. Accounting for 70% to 90% of hot spots in dogs, this occurs if the pet gets wet in contaminated water and other reasons.

Food allergies are another cause of skin lesions in dogs. Having a direct effect on the pet’s food, low quality food can be actually very harmful for dogs.

Other reasons for hot spots in dogs are anal infection, clipping or grooming, pyoderma, drug reactions, autoimmune disease, injection site reaction etc. Have a word with your vet about the reasons and how to treat and prevent them.

How to Treat Hot Spots in Dogs?

• Treating hot spots can be a tough task. It’s important to follow a vet’s advice and perform initial treatment under his supervision. For small spots that can be treated at home, you need to first cut the fur around the spot. Gently wipe it with benzyol peroxide or benzalkonium chloride, which are non irritant skin cleansing solutions for dogs. Pat the spot dry and apply betadine that has drying and healing properties.
• Use an Elizabeth collar to prevent the pet from licking, chewing or further damaging the wound. If infection seem deeper into the skin then going to the vet is the only alternative. The pet may need antibiotics and painkillers to bare the pain. Your vet may also prescribe antihistamines to control itching.

What are the Best Ways to Prevent Hop Spots in Dogs?

• Groom the pet on a regular basis. Hygiene plays a vital role in keeping away skin infections and diseases in dogs.
• In summers, clip your pet’s hair to a shorter length. This is important for those pets that have long fur with dense undercoat as these areas develop germ and bacterial infections.
• Keep fleas away from your pooch. Adhere to a flea control program that suits your pet. Or, choose flea treatments recommended by your vet.
• Stress is another factor that deteriorates your pet’s skin. So, maintain a stress free environment around your pet.
• Provide good quality food to keep the pet’s skin and coat healthy. Ask your vet for dietary supplements that provide essential fatty acids to dogs.

To sum up, hot spots in dogs can be prevented with some good knowledge about the actual problem and the pet’s sensitivities. If the skin problem occurs then taking proper advice from the vet will help you deal with the situation. But then prevention is far better than cure. So, talk to your vet about the precautions and follow them to keep your pet healthy and happy with flawless skin and coat.