Hot spots on dogs: Prevention and Treatment

Hot spots on dogs are so frustrating!

They are also uncomfortable, and often painful for your pup. Proper care and maintenance is necessary to help your dog avoid these itchy spots.

The good news is there are things you can do to help prevent them. We will discuss some of those here in this article.

Hot spots: What are they anyway?

Basically it is an inflamed area of the skin that will often be red, moist, or even oozing. As you can imagine, hot spots can be pretty stressful for your dog.

They often can’t stop licking the area and that can cause irritation and even more pain. When you find a hot spot on your dog, it needs to be treated immediately. Otherwise the affected area can spread very quickly.

What causes hot spots on dogs?

Just about anything that leads to itchiness can be a source of hot spots on dogs. If you start to notice them, you’ll want to be aware of what your dog has eaten, as it could be related to a food allergy.

Or if they have been outside a lot recently, it could be an insect bite. There are also other causes such as fleas, mites, and allergies to trees, weeds, or grass.

Bacterial infections on the skin can also cause hot spots. As soon as the infection settles in, the moist oozing appearance will generally appear, and the infection will be accompanied by an odor.

That’s when most dog owners identify this issue, but ideally you should take your pet to the vet as soon as you see any sign of irritation just to be safe.

Have You Tested Your Dog for Allergies Yet?

Ok, if you haven’t tested your dog yet – or even if you have but it was inconclusive – I want to let you know about a pretty simple and easy at home test.

5 Strands Affordable Testing makes at home allergy tests for dogs. They test for hundreds of allergens, both food and environmental.

For the price, it’s a great way to get information on what is causing your dog all the bumps and redness and itchiness. If you want to check it out, click here to get more info —>> Affordable Allergy Testing Kit

Can you prevent hot spots?

Yes you can! Preventing hot spots does take a lot of work of course. But you can do it! Here’s a list of a few things that should help avoid these pesky spots.

• Regular flea and tick preventative
• Keeping your dogs clean and dry
• Proper grooming of your dog’s coat
• Avoiding any known allergens (food or environmental)
• Keeping your dog active and free from boredom or stress

It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid hot spots on dogs, but if you can follow this list as much as possible you will have a good chance of steering clear any major outbreaks.

Treating hot spots

The first thing you will need to do is clean the infected area. You’ll want to dry it out as much as possible before administering any medication.

You can use something like coconut oil or lotion to help soothe it initially. Then an ointment like Neosporin will help it start to heal. And then I’d suggest using one of these topicals.

• Pet Honesty Hot Spot chews
• Dermapaw – All natural skin and paw treatment
• Strawfield antiseptic spray
• Earthbath Hot Spot relief shampoo

A vet might actually shave the area to help dry it out and more easily apply a topical medication. Unfortunately, your dog may need to be in the cone of shame for a few days to let the area heal. It’s really nothing to be ashamed of; Norman wears his all the time!

Dealing with hot spots is frustrating for both you and your dog. But we’re in this together! Just do your best to help your pup avoid any triggers and be diligent with treatment if you do see them pop up.

If you’re able to determine what caused the flare up in the first place, you can take the steps necessary to keep your dog away from them. And hopefully away from the vet as well!