Dealing with Dog Hot Spots

Among the painful skin problems your pet can have are dog hot spots. They are different from allergies because they often come with a pus and smell horribly. These hot spots tends to progress easily because they get terribly irritated when your dog licks on them to try to soothe themselves from both the pain and itch.

These spots are not just relative to one area alone. They can easily spread to other parts of the body as well. They are usually found right under the flaps of your dog's ears. This being said, hot spots are known to be common among large breeds and those which are known for their thick hairy coats.

There are many reasons why dog hot spots occur but it has been observed that they are most likely to appear when a dog is days away from shedding. What happens is that the dead hair gets moistened and trapped right onto the skin. Aside from this, improper grooming practices that lead to the appearance of fleas and mites on the skin can also cause the said spots.

Because of the pain it causes and the quick way it can erupt, hot spots needed special medical attention immediately. Dogs are often sedated prior to treatment so that medication could be facilitated much better. The surrounding hair around the area would be clipped off by the veterinarian so that the hot spots would become more visible and easier to treat.

After the clipping has been done, the spots would now be treated first through sanitation. This is important so that the infection can finally subside. Drying should be done completely after this before the antibiotics would be applied directly on the area. This would be repeated for a maximum span of two weeks, twice daily.

Although this topical medication is already done, the veterinarian might also prescribe other oral meds to accompany the treatment. It is common that your dog will be given some oral coscosteroids but only for a short period of time. This would just help prevent them from itching and an Elizabethan collar would be advised so that the area would not be retraumatized.

Dog hot spots could be easily prevented. They are known to occur during hot humid weather. So when your dog bathes, make sure that you dry them fully right after. This way the development of hot spots would seize to happen.

Also, make it a point to provide a clean sleeping area for your dog. This way you can prevent them from becoming a breeding ground for fleas or mites.