As the summer weather kicks into high-gear, it’s time to keep an eye on your dog’s skin, particularly for hot spots. Summertime brings more outside activities, which means your dog has a higher risk of exposure to fleas and to the various triggers that cause allergies – both of which are associated with hot spots.
Your vet will refer to hot spots as acute moist dermatitis. Pet owners need to look for areas on the skin where there are red, oozing infections that your pet is probably constantly scratching or licking due to the itchy nature of the infection. A fleabite has been known to be the catalyst for hot spots. What begins as a simple irritation becomes an oozing wound that should be treated as soon as owners find them.
Hot spots that aren’t treated expand into larger, more serious wounds. Some dogs will develop hot spots near their ears, which is a sign of an ear infection rather than a fleabite or allergic reaction. Hot spots located at the rear of the dog could be a reaction to an anal gland infection. Regardless of the cause (which should also be addressed for future prevention) hot spots need immediate attention because it doesn’t take long for the infection to become serious and for your pet to become miserable and moody.
While the care of a veterinarian is mandatory for dog skin care, there are some things you can do to make your dog as comfortable as possible until it gets into the vet’s office. Use a non-irritating soap to clean the affected area. The area needs to be rinsed of soap and dried, but be gentle as the wound is likely painful when touched. To give your veterinarian better access to the area he/she will be treating, clip the hair around the wound, making sure not to get any of it in the wound.
Your dog is likely to do further damage to the area by scratching it or licking/biting the wound. An Elizabethan collar can be of assistance if licking is an issue and booties or socks will be necessary if your dog is constantly scratching at the wound. Your vet should be looking for what caused the hot spot and give you ideas on how to prevent it from happening again and assist you in providing dog skin care options. Antibiotics are often introduced to speed recovery as are drying agents that can be applied directly to the wound.
ProLabs offers a full line of products to keep your dog’s health in order, from worm protector 2X to Tape Worm Tabs for dogs – dog skin care is a specialty of the company that strives to keep pets healthy or get them that way quickly with safe products. Skin Soothe is one product that aids in the healing of hot spots, minor wounds and many skin conditions.
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