Recognizing and Treating Hot Spots in Dogs
Is your dog suffering from itchy, irritated skin? If so, you want to address their discomfort as quickly as possible. Learn how to recognize and treat hot spots in dogs and keep your furry friend safe!
With this beautiful weather now upon us, it is time for a number of our favourite warm-weather activities including hiking, camping, bonfires and days at the beach.
While these activities offer great bonding experiences, they also introduce a few potentially annoyances into our lives… Environmental allergies, heat-related skin irritation and pesky insects like fleas, ticks and mosquitos.
For some pets, these irritants can cause a bigger problem known as a hot spot.
Hot spots, also known as ‘acute moist dermatitis’ or ‘pyotraumatic dermatitis’ are localized areas on a dog’s body where they are experiencing skin inflammation or infection.
Depending on how long they have been dealing with the condition, the condition can range from a minor skin lesion to a deeper more serious infection (complete with additional complications).
Hot spots not only look bad and promote potential infections, but they are also incredibly painful and stressful for your pup.
While there is no foolproof way to prevent the development of a hot spot (I don’t recommend keeping them locked away in a sterile room, hidden from all potential irritants lol), by educating yourself about he condition, you can catch these lesions early.
The sooner you catch a hot spot, the quicker you can jump on treatment, providing your pup with faster relief!
Related: ‘Tick Prevention for Dogs: How to Keep Your Family Safe this Tick Season‘
Recognizing Hot Spots in Dogs – What Should I Watch For?
Hot spots generally present themselves as areas of hot, irritated, red or moist skin.
They may also appear as an oozy lesion, or areas of scabby or crusty skin if they have started to dry out.
Signs and symptoms include:
- Intense and persistent itching
- Chewing/licking the body
- Agitation or noticeable discomfort
- Obsession with an area of the boy
- Loss of hair
- Hair matting
- Hiding or preventing you from seeing the area of concern
Often these spots will come on quickly with little to now warning and grow alarmingly fast if they aren’t addressed.
What Can I Do to Prevent Hot Spots?
While there is no secret to preventing the situation entirely, there are steps that can be taken to prevent the appearance of hot spots in dogs.
Following any time spent outdoors, check your pup over for any skin injuries, insect bites, ticks, or other irritants.
If you do notice an area of irritation, clean the area immediately to avoid it becoming infected or inflamed. This will greatly reduce the chances of irritation developing into a hot spot.
Flea and tick prevention are also key, as they work to protect your pups from these pests.
Matted hair can trap moisture, bacteria, and parasites against the skin, encouraging irritation.
Regular grooming will help to remove any dead hair and prevent matting.
Some breeds can be shaved; however, you should NEVER shave a double-coated dog. Examples of double-coated dog breeds include Pomeranians, Huskies, Sheepdogs, Samoyeds and Malamutes.
Skin irritation can also occur as the result of an allergy. This includes environmental allergies such as grasses, trees and pollen, as well as food allergies.
Common signs of allergies include:
- Increased itching (localized or generalized)
- Recurrent ear infections
- Runny eyes
- Coughing or sneezing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian to discuss the best options to address your concerns. Allergies can be managed with appropriate care.
Another cause, although not as common as the others, is that a dog is simply so bored that they resort to chewing on themselves.
This can easily be prevented with a little extra effort on your part.
Ensure that your dog is getting plenty of exercise and playtime, reducing the chance of pent-up energy.
If your dog is indoors for a period of time, provide them with mentally stimulating toys and activities in order to keep them occupied.
Related: ‘Easy and Effective Ways to Entertain Your Dog at Home‘
How Can I Treat A Hot Spot?
If you suspect that you have identified a hot spot, it is important to act fast as they can grow rapidly.
The best approach is to speak with your veterinarian at the first sign of a problem. They will guide you in the proper care for your dog’s individual case and prescribe the necessary medication for treatment, if required.
This may include:
- Antibiotics to treat a possible infection
- Medication to treat or prevent parasites
- Painkillers
- Medicated shampoos or topical drying sprays to relieve irritation
- Corticosteroids and antihistamines to help control the itching.
If you have an appointment with the veterinarian already scheduled, but you can’t get in immediately, you can help to alleviate some pain and irritation.
Cut back the fur around the area of the hot spot to allow for proper air flow.
Clean the area with cool water and a gentle. However, be cautious! These spots are incredibly painful, so your dog may snap or lash out, even if it is out of character.
A cold compress applied to the area can provide short term, temporary relief.
Finally, prevent your dog from chewing at the area either by using a cone or through careful monitoring of your dog during this time.
Visual learners, check out this video from Dr. Wendy Zimmerman:
As I previously mentioned, these spots can be incredibly painful, itchy and irritating for your dog.
While hot spots in dogs can be treated in the early stages at home (in some cases), you don’t want to prolong his/her suffering any longer than necessary.
Contact your veterinarian to discuss your specific case and the best course of action.
Do you have experience with hot spots in dogs?
What advice do you have for other dog owners? I invite you to share your tips and tricks in the comments below!
I admit, I didn’t know about this! I only have cats, so dog issues are a mystery to me. I’m glad there are ways to help.
If they’re caught early, they are easy to clean up. We just have to know what to watch for and act quickly if we notice the signs.
This is helpful information! I love my pup and want her to have the best care! Thanks for showing me signs to keep an eye out for!!
If they are caught early, they are a minor inconvenience. If they are left to get worse, however, they can get infected and cause a much larger issue.
I have never heard of a hot spot. I am glad that wasn’t something I had to deal with when I had my golden retriever. She pretty much just hung out by my side wherever I went anyway, lol.
They are super common simply because their fur traps moisture against the skin so easily.
This is good info for dog owners. You just never know when this could happen to the dog
They are SO common!
Thanks for sharing, I haven’t had to deal with this yet with my pups and hope I won’t have too 🙁 That looks painful on your poor pup!
They can be very painful, especially if they are left to grow and get worse!
I guess, just like us, pets will be annoyed with any body part that is both itchy and painful. I agree to act on it sooner than later.
Exactly – it’s no different than the person who itches until it causes a rash to spread.
Once again I read an informative article, before of this I was totally unaware about how to treat a Hot Spot. The article is very much beneficial for dog owners.
Thank you!
When we had our dog we were very fortunate that he ever picked up any ticks but my dad always checked him regardless. They’re tricky wee buggers! Our cats are indoor cats so we don’t have this issue!
They really are! I’d rather take the time to search my pups over every time we’re out and never find them, then miss one!
My dog gets problems with one of his ears? I wonder if he has a hotspot in his ear?
He scratches at it and flicks his ear. He is ok now it flairs up and the vet gives me stuff to use to clean it, but it will probably flare up again soon!!
That sounds more like an ear infection. They are pretty common too, especially if they are triggered by yeast or by allergies.
Does it trigger around the same time each year? If so, you’re likely dealing with seasonal allergies. We’ve been dealing with that here for a number of years now.
My allergy boy use to deal with these, although now that we’ve found something that works for his allergies (thank goodness for Cytopoint!) they’re a thing of the past! Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
My girl has a skin condition, so we deal with them occasionally. Luckily, if you catch them early, they clear up quickly.
this is very helpful for dog owners. 🙂 As owners, we must really be watchful of our dogs to ensure that they will live a long and healthy life. Thank you for sharing this!
Exactly! It’s our responsibility to take care of our pups. Thank you!
I don’t have a dog, but my friend who has one would enjoy reading this article for sure! This is something new to me and quite useful information for all dog lovers! 🙂
Thank you!
My dog gets these from time to time, and I didn’t know these tricks. Thank you for this!
My girl gets them occasionally too. She has a skin condition that’s triggered by her allergies that sometimes leaves her with hot spots. We learned early how to help clear them up as quickly as possible before it went further with her sensitive skin.
I had no idea these effected dogs. I don’t have any dogs anymore but my parents do so I’ll have to share this with them.
They are super common, but nothing to be worried about when they are dealt with early.
I’m currently raising a puppy and this is such great info! Thank you
Congratulations! What breed?
Thank you for sharing! Our best friends just got a pup so I’ll be sharing this one with them.
Congratulations to your best friends! It really is a fun time, a busy one, but a fun one!
Stress may also be a factor that contributes to your pet’s instinct to lick. Hot spots can grow rapidly, become infected, and be quite painful.
Most definitely! For us, it’s usually a result of my girl’s allergies. But catching them early is key.
what an informative post! I did not know the signs of ticks and fleas. we never had a huge issue with them. every now and again we would find a tick or two but not a lot. good to know these things!
We are lucky not to have found too many, but we’ve always been diligent about their medication and I firmly believe that’s why. We do live in a high risk area.
This would have been helpful for my Klaus way back when. I suspected he had a good allergy that caused it, but we couldn’t pinpoint the cause. He’d get a hotspot at least once a year. 🙁
That’s what we deal with when it comes to my girl Dav. In her case, it’s a seasonal allergy that seems to trigger it – same time each year.
I don’t have any pets but hot spots sound like a very painful disease for the dogs. I will be passing on this information to my relatives who are dog owners. Thank s for sharing.
They are irritating in the early stages and if left to grow and get worse, they can definitely be incredibly painful! It’s important, as a pet owner, to catch them early and deal with them appropriately.
I don’t have a dog but this is very helpful for those who do. Great article!!!!!
Thank you!
Great tips for those with dogs. We have low maintenance pets like a turtle and fish since there are 9 children here!
I can see why low maintenance pets would be the ideal choice! I’m sure you’ve got your hands full 🙂
I’ve had dogs all my life and never heard of ‘Hot Spots’, or maybe I didn’t know what they were. This was a good read as I’ve recently gotten a new puppy.
Candy Rachelle
Congratulations on the new puppy! You’re not the only one to say that – If you haven’t had a dog that gets them regularly, you don’t really have reason to learn about them, right?
Cytopoint injections for dogs are a lifesaver. It’s basically an allergy shot for dogs that the vet gives. its specific to skin conditions and it works amazing! I only have to get it for my dog every couple of months during his allergy seasons. Totally worth it!No side effects either and my dog has Addison’s disease so I have to be careful with everything.
Great advice for dog owners that are trying to find a way to manage allergies. Definitely worth a conversation with the veterinarian!
My family have had dogs for as long as I remember but I didn’t know about this. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!