Tag: What Does a Hot Spot Look Like?

Does Your Dog Have a Hot Spot?

Have you noticed your dog has been scratching one area more than usual?  Then your pooch may have a hot spot.  Hot spots can develop when an irritated patch of skin becomes infected.  The condition is called pyotraumatic dermatitis and you may notice your dog scratching or licking excessively.  Here is a look at how hot spots develop and what you can do to make your dog feel better.

What Does a Hot Spot Look Like?

Depending on how serious the infection has gotten it can be just a small red area or a large hairless patch that is oozing pus.  Hot spots for the most part can be treated at home but they can become serious and you will need to take your dog to the vet for topical antibiotics at the very least.  If you notice the dog scratching excessively you may want to get a closer look to see how far advanced the hot spot has gotten.

Why Do Hot Spots Develop

Hot spots develop after your dog’s skin get irritated then bacteria gets in and you have an infection.  The skin irritation could have been caused by anything but some more common causes are allergies, matting of their fur or a behavioral problem.  Dogs can be pretty sensitive to food and food allergies often leave them with very itchy skin.

What to Do with Hot Spots

Once you have determined your dog has a hot spot then you need to get them treated right away, they won’t go away on their own.  If you have never seen this before then you should probably take your dog to the vet to get some antibiotics.  The vet will also show you how to keep the area clean and dry at home so that the infection clears up.  Infections neared to be cleared up completely or they will return.

Removing the Causes

Regular grooming of your dog can take care of any issues concerning matted fur.  Letting your dog’s fur get too long not only makes your dog too warm it can make them very uncomfortable.  Your dog should be brushed regularly at least twice per week, especially if you have a long haired dog.  Short haired dogs can go a bit longer.  Any matted fur should be cut out and if you have a dog like a Yorkie that has hair rather than fur then they will need to be groomed regularly.

Allergies that make your dog’s skin itch can be a little harder to eliminate, first you have to figure out what your dog is allergic to.  You may want to get help from your vet to get that sorted out.  However there are some common foods like grain that can make your dog itchy.  You may have to experiment to find the right type of dog food that doesn’t irritate your dog.