By Dr. Rosie Smith Vet, MB, MA, MSc, MRCVS
Hot Spots Really Are A Pain For Your Dog!
These red, wet patches of skin are intensely irritating and very painful.
What Causes Them?
Anything that damages the skin surface can trigger a hot spot. It can be something tiny such as a flea bite or a scratch from a bramble. This tiny wound allows the bacteria that normally live on the skin to gain extra nourishment and reproduce out of control causing damage. The skin becomes inflamed and painful.
Your dog will lick and nibble at the area causing more damage and making the situation worse.
How to Treat a Hot Spot
If the hot spot is small – no bigger than a fifty pence piece then the following first aid measures are appropriate. Take care. These spots are painful. Your pet may not want you to carry out first aid. In these cases make an appointment with your regular vet.
Use scissors to clip away any matted or long fur that surrounds the area until you have a margin of healthy, pale, fur-trimmed skin around the hot spot. (Keep the scissors flush with the skin so that you don’t cut the skin). This will allow air to get to the skin and help it to dry out, making conditions less favourable for the bacteria.
Clean the area with salty water and then blot dry with a clean dry towel.
Apply some manuka honey or aloe vera gel to the sore area. These both have antibacterial properties.
Take steps to prevent your dog from licking the area. This is most likely to mean a buster collar or ‘cone’. Don’t simply rely on ‘telling your dog off’ while you’re there. Overnight your dog will be able to do a lot of damage.
How NOT to Treat a Hot Spot
Do not apply any other antiseptics to the sore area – No TCP, Dettol, zinc oxide cream (sudocream) or anything else suggested on the internet. These will cause your dog a lot of pain and further damage the skin.
Do not bandage the area as this will trap the moisture and bacteria and make the situation worse. Covering the area with a loose weave material – a light t-shirt or loose sock is ok although bear in mind that your dog may still be able to cause damage by licking the covering and making it damp.
Because this condition is so irritating for your pet it is sensible to seek veterinary treatment promptly if the area is large or is not responding to first aid treatment.
Do Not Leave Hot Spots
They do not ‘sort themselves out.’ They will get bigger and can make your pet very poorly.
Depending on the severity of the condition your vet may prescribe some antibiotics and or anti-inflammatories. This may be in the form of a cream (vets call this topical treatment) or medicine to be taken by mouth (vets call this systemic treatment). She may also give you an antibacterial wash.
It is important to follow the instructions that your vet gives you.
I know it’s a hot spot. Why won’t my vet just let me have more cream?
Some dogs get recurrent hot spots and owners get to recognise what is going on. Hot spots usually respond well to treatment. However, these spots should not be treated as trivial. The drugs that are prescribed are generally powerful and effective. They are not to be dispensed lightly.
We are all becoming more and more aware of the problems of antibiotic resistance. Vets, alongside doctors, have a duty of care to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics and also to care properly for your pet, who cannot speak for itself.
It is for both these reasons that if your pet has not been seen recently your vet will need to examine them before prescribing further medication.
By Dr. Rosie Smith Vet, MB, MA, MSc, MRCVS
Paws Indoors Mobile Vet Norwich & South Norfolk
Telephone: 01508 498718
Find Paws Indoors on the Good Vet and Pet Guide
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